


Habit

by Neliel3



Category: Mamamoo, SEVENTEEN (Band), TWICE (Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-02
Updated: 2019-04-08
Packaged: 2019-04-17 06:58:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 99,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14183439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neliel3/pseuds/Neliel3
Summary: Park Jimin, a struggling event designer who came from a poor but sweet family and just quit his horrible, supposedly “dream job”, meets Jeon Jungkook, a business prodigy, the youngest CEO in Korea, who was willing to do literally anything for business. In a collision of values, ethics and morals – among other things – who would break?Or would they break together?





	1. Chapter 1

* * *

* * *

****

“So, as I was saying, it would be more… aesthetically pleasing if you’d lessen the flowers and add more green to the bouquets next to the central isle.”

Jimin confidently said, showing the sample bouquet he had designed and arranged himself. He spent last night trying to reconcile all the approved designs.

He did not like the approved concepts so far, to be completely honest. He is quickly losing faith in his client’s taste. He already finished thinking of the designs and presented them to the client during their first meet up for updates, but nearly all of it was changed due to the client’s exquisite design preferences.

And now, now that Jimin barely managed to pull all of it together into a nice, coherent design, the client is asking him to smother the isle with rose petals and rose flower bulbs?

“No, no, you don’t understand,” The client, Somi, said. Jimin felt his blood start to boil. “I love, love roses! And I hate green!”

“Then why did you add coconut leaves?” Jimin asked as nicely as he could. “You hate green, and coconut leaves are… well… green.”

“Look here, honey.” Somi collectedly said. “Just do what I say and – ”

“But it will mess up the whole event!” Jimin interjected, shocking both the client and Jimin’s supervisor.

“Wait a sec, wait a sec!” Nayeon butted in, smiling her rehearsed smile towards Somi, who reciprocated it. “Can I… like…” she asked, pointing on the flustered guy and then to the door. She then proceeded to ushering – more like dragging – a fuming Jimin outside.

Once they were out of hearing range, Nayeon turned to Jimin. “What are you doing?!”

“I’m doing my job, noona!” Jimin answered, clearly fed up with the project given to him. “But that Jeon Somi won’t let me do it properly! Can’t she leave the designing to us actual designers who were trained for this?”

The gap between Nayeon’s brows crumpled as she looked at Jimin seriously. “Our job is to bring _their_ visions to life, Jimin. It is _her_ wedding, not yours.”

“But it is _my_ design, not hers!” Jimin countered. “It is I who would take the flak if the design goes crap, and it sure will if I let her lead the way!”

“We are being paid by them Jimin.” Nayeon answered. “I know it is hard to accept that you trained and studied hard only to produce outputs that are not even half of what you’re capable of, but if you want to stay in this business, you’d have to learn to accept that.”

Silence filled the hallway after Nayeon’s explanation, and she thought Jimin finally understood what she was trying to say. She has seen Jimin’s talent – she knew how much more the young boy can do. But it had always been like that in the corporate world. Talents go to waste. Potentials remain potentials. All because they were only being paid.

Nayeon let out a sigh before speaking again. “You have telent, Jimin. But then again, you are an employee. At the end of the day, our job is to simply materialize what our clients want to see.”

“Are you saying that at the end of the day, after all these years, we are just,” Jimin paused, taking a deep breath. “doing our job?”

“Yes.” Nayeon answered. “I’m glad that you are getting it.”

The beautiful girl waited to Jimin to fully come in terms with the revelation he just came face to face with, and thought that it was okay when the young talent lifted his head up and looked at her in the eye.

With finality and determination, Jimin voiced out.

“No.”

 

 

When young Jimin realized that he wanted to be an events designer, he was ecstatic and excited. He knew that not everyone manages to figure out what they want to do with their lives, not even to the end, so he was quite proud and inspired that he discovered his. Whenever the going got tough back when he was still studying, all he did was envision himself being congratulated for a stellar event that he designed for.

What he did not foresee, however, was that _out there_ is not simply all about talent and staying true to yourself, as he had seen in movies. It was more about doing what your boss wants you to do. It was more about pleasing others, not yourself.

And he definitely did not see himself quitting his job this early in his career.

“I did not come to Seoul for this.” Jimin sighed as he sat in front of a small table, setting down his tray loaded only with a burger and regular fries dine-in order in a fast food chain. He wanted to cry, really… his pent up emotions ever since he left his family in Busan were not helping him as he tried to push back the tears threatening to spill.

He did not want to go back. Not just yet. His family probably already sacrificed too much for him just to get here. They were probably starving, he thought, having given Jimin a surprisingly huge sum of money. ‘So you have some to spend while waiting for your first salary’ as his mother said.

Jimin was too busy wallowing in self-pity that he did not notice the coming of another person.

“Yah.” The man tried to call his attention, but failed. He tried once again with a louder voice.

“Park Jimin!”

“Yes?” Jimin snapped out of his thoughts at the familiar voice, immediately sitting up straight from his slouched position and fixing his expression. When he lifted his gaze, a small smile managed to form on his lips upon realizing who the person was.

“Yoongi-hyung.”

“What got you all listless like that? Did something happen?” The pale person asked, already taking his seat opposite Jimin after confirming that the younger was alone. “And since when were you in Seoul? You did not even inform me or anything!”

“It was nothing, hyung.” Jimin answered. “I’ve been here since three weeks ago. And sorry about not telling you. I just thought it wouldn’t be necessary. I’m just here to for work.”

“Oh, really?” Yoongi smiled, taking a bite into his tomato, lettuce, and cheese burger. “How was work so far? Events designer, right?”

Jimin just gave the older a smile as a response before taking a small bite into his regular burger. He mentally cursed when he realized he did not catch any meat. It was all bread.

“What kind of answer was that?” Yoongi chuckled, scooping a dollop from his chocolate sundae.

The younger sighed. “I quit, hyung. I don’t have a job right now.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah… it’s good that my boss gave me a separation pay, actually. At least I have some money to spend while looking for a new job.”

 Yoongi’s smile fell from his face. “I’m sorry about that.” He said. “But… as far as I can remember, you really like your job. Why would you quit?”

“It wasn’t as I thought, hyung.” Jimin answered, clearly crestfallen. “Yeah, the designing part is great. But what’s the use if I couldn’t even put my designs to life just because the client decided to add coconut leaves in her wedding?”

He was still mad, really. It was crazy. She was crazy. Jimin could not understand how a girl like that was already getting married, while he was still facing the difficulties of life alone. And to think that he was even older than Jeon Somi.

“So, what are you going to do next?” Yoongi asked. He was concerned, of course. They have known each other really well for a really long time now. He wanted to make sure Jimin will be fine.

“Honestly? I don’t know.” Jimin answered. “I just can’t go home yet, hyung. Not when I’m my parents’ only chance in having a good life. You know how we are, hyung,” Jimin continued, as the older nodded in understanding. “My parents already did what they can do to give me a comfortable life even though we could never afford luxuries. They are old, hyung. It’s my turn now.”

“I understand.” The older said. He glanced at his watch, and when he saw that it was time for him to go, he stood up and smiled. “It was really nice meeting you again, Jimin. Too bad I have something scheduled in like… fifteen minutes.”

“Yeah, it really was, hyung.”

“I missed you.” He continued. He really did not want to leave Jimin, but he had work to do. They had been pretty attached to each other in the past, and even though they were only friends now, he still loved being around Jimin and talking to him. “Is your old contact number still the same?”

“Yeah, I really couldn’t change because I have other stuff to spend my money on.” Jimin chuckled. “Get going now, hyung. We’ll just meet again some other time, when you’re not busy.”

“Yeah, yeah, maybe I’ll text you tonight or something.” Yoongi agreed. “I’ll go now.”

With a final pat on the younger’s hair, Yoongi left.

Soon after being left alone, Jimin also picked himself up and left the fast food to go back to the apartment he rented. It was a bit far, actually, but he chose to walk, partly because he thought he also needed the distraction, and mostly because he did not want to spend money to get a cab.

“No one’s waiting for me, anyway.” Jimin sighed as he continued walking. It was already night when he got to his apartment, and instead of eating dinner, he went directly to his bed and tried to get some sleep after his long, exhausting day.

 

 

He was woken up, rather rudely, if you would ask him, but the ringing of his phone in the middle of the night.

“Ugh… it’s like, what, three in the morning, who the hell is calling?” Jimin groggily asked as he tried to look for his phone on the bedside table without opening his eyes. When he finally got it, he peeked at his screen to see that it was Yoongi who was calling him.

And also, that it was just ten in the evening.

“Hyung…” Jimin yawned into his phone, standing up to go to the TV to watch the night news.

“Hey, Jimin.” Yoongi chuckled. “Sorry for waking you up.”

“It’s nothing, hyung.” Jimin reassured the elder. “I was just… napping. You said you’d text me, not call, so… yeah.”

“Have you eaten?”

The moment Yoongi mentioned food, Jimin’s stomach made a grumbling sound, indication that it needed attention.

“Y-Yeah. Before I napped.” Jimin answered. He was not exactly telling the truth, but it was not a lie either. He was even with Yoongi when he ate!

“Oh, okay. Good. Don’t neglect your health, okay?” The older softly said. Jimin gave him a soft hum as a response.

“Yeah, thanks, hyung.” Jimin answered. “How was your appointment earlier?”

“Oh, it was great, actually. The client already gave his approval.”

Jimin smiled. Yoongi was lucky.

“Good job, hyung. Nice to hear that.”

Knowing Jimin, Yoongi knew that even though the younger is truly happy for him, he would still feel a bit sad after what happened to his job earlier. And because of that, he remembered the reason why he actually called the younger.

“Hey, hey, Jimin!” Yoongi excitedly called the younger’s attention through the phone. “You know where I work, right?”

“Hmmm…” Jimin thought hard to remember the company that Yoongi once mentioned. His mind is still asleep, so it took some time before he recalled anything. “Something like Wings…”

“Yeah, yeah, that one.” Yoongi confirmed. “So, basically, today, I got news that one of the employees from the design and aesthetics department resigned. We need an immediate replacement, so maybe you’re interested?”

“R-Really?!” Jimin’s eyes widened at Yoongi’s words. He immediately sat up from his bed, more awake that he had been in a long time. “R-Really?!”

“Yeah!” Yoongi answered with an equal amount of enthusiasm. “The company haven’t posted any poster for hiring yet. So if you’d come tomorrow, chances are, you’ll get in. Especially since I am backing you up.”

For a while, the line went silent. Yoongi almost thought Jimin fell asleep on him. When he was about to call Jimin’s name again to make sure he was still awake, he heard a sniffle from the other side.

“Yah, Jimin, are you crying?”

“N-No, I’m not!” Jimin answered, rubbing his closed fist against his right eye. “I’m just… smelling something.”

The older could not hold his laughter at Jimin’s denial. He tried holding the phone away from his mouth so Jimin would not hear it, but it was too late.

“Why are you laughing at me?! I told you I was not crying!”

“Okay, okay, you’re not crying!” Yoongi said to appease the younger. “But seriously though, this is a nice opportunity. I say you should take it.”

“Hell yeah, of course I’ll take it!” Jimin answered happily. He quickly wiped the tears still flowing down his cheeks before talking into the phone again. “Thank you, hyung. I owe you one.”

“Yeah, yeah. Pass the interview tomorrow first, then you can thank me.” Yoongi answered. “Now sleep, you mochi, you have a long day ahead.”

“I know.” Jimin said, smiling. He was already on the verge of breaking down a while ago when he found out Yoongi just closed a successful deal with their client, but thanks to his hyung, he just got a big opportunity to work in a prestigious company.

“Thank you again, hyung. And good night.”

“Good night to you, too.” Yoongi answered, smiling. He was glad he made the younger happy. He fell asleep contented, having had a good day after his client approved of his music and more importantly, after having been Jimin’s salvation.

The younger, on the other hand, closed his eyes feeling nervous for tomorrow, for he was not sure if such a big company would hire a newbie like him. But more importantly, he was happy.

He just hoped that this new opportunity would actually be more like his dream job.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 2!!! I hope you guys like it! :)

**_2_ **

When he woke up, the first thing that Jimin noticed was the coldness of the air in his tiny apartment. Second was the darkness of the room, relative to the usual sight that greeted him when he wakes up in the morning. A quick glance to the alarm clock he brought with him from Busan made him realize what was so different that morning.

“4:30… really?” Jimin groaned before he decided to stand up from his bed. He knew that he would not be able to go back to sleep because of how nervous and excited he felt. So instead of trying – and mostly likely failing – to steal a few more minutes of sleep, he thought he would rather start preparing early so he could present himself in the best way possible.

And besides, if he fell asleep, it is possible for him to wake up later than planned, which could make him run late for the interview, which would make him jobless again. And then he would have to go home empty-handed and just cry and live the rest of his life living off his parents.

Of course he did not want that to happen.

“Good morning, sir, I’m Park Jimin, 26, from Busan.” Jimin recited as he scrubbed his arm with the shower running. He was nervous, really, but he also believed that the best solution to being nervous is being prepared. He thought that if he would already rehearse the things that he would say later in the interview, it would be a lot less daunting. “I believe that this company would benefit… ah, wrong phrasing. It sounds too proud.”

Right after showering and drying himself up, Jimin proceeded to donning his formal attire which consists of a blue long-sleeved button up and a pair of fitted black pants. It was still early when he finished with his preparations, so he decided to double check the documents in his bag.

He removed the envelope from its plastic jacket, and scanned its contents. Résumé, check. It was nothing special, really. Given that he was practically a fresh graduate, he did not have a lot to put in it. But it worked the last time he used it to apply for his previous job. If it did serve its purpose back then, he did not find any need for him to revise it.

Next was his portfolio. The document contained mostly designs – ones that were still concepts – and some pictures of event venues that he designed back when he was still a student. One was his Japanese-themed event design for a dormitory event. He was proud of it more because of the amount of effort that he managed to put into it than because of the actual output. According to his friends, his designs and outputs were amazing, given that he only worked within a very limited budget and time.

He was never really contented with his products. Jimin always broke down the night before an event, thinking that what he made was ugly. But at least, some people thought otherwise.

“Hmmm?” Jimin questioningly hummed, looking at his blaring phone as he closed his portfolio.

“Hyung?”

“Are you ready?” Jimin heard Yoongi ask through the phone, and even though they could not see each other, the younger knew that the elder was excited.

“Well… kind of.” Jimin answered. “You seem more excited than me right now.”

“Of course I am excited!” Yoongi said. “You’ll like it here, I swear.”

Jimin released a sigh of nervousness before talking to the phone. “That is, if they would hire me. You know… I don’t really have that much feats when it comes to designing. And Wings is a big-time company! Why would they hire someone like me?”

“Oh come on, Jimin, have some faith in yourself!” The elder cheered. “Just be yourself, and I sure you won’t fail to impress, I tell you that much.”

His ex’s words successfully put a smile on Jimin’s face, feeling a bit of his will and self-esteem restored. “Thanks, hyung. You really the right things to say at the right moments.”

“Well, what can I say?” Yoongi chuckled. “Okay, see you later, then, I have to go to work now. I have an important meeting to go to.”

“Okay, hyung. Good luck and thanks!”

After the call, Jimin faced the full-length mirror and straightened his back. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and smiled.

“I can do this. You can do this, Park Jimin! Fighting!”

When he was done with last minute checks before leaving his room, Jimin went out into the streets of Seoul and began leisurely walking to the address of the building Yoongi has sent him the night before.

Turns out, the building of the Wings Company was a lot closer to his apartment than he thought. That, or he was just too absorbed with the music playing in his earphones that he did not notice just how much he had already walked.

“Just in time.” Jimin mumbled after looking at his phone’s time when he arrived in front of the colossal building which will be his new workplace. Given that he passes the interview.

Gathering up confidence, the aspiring designer entered the building, not without smiling at the guard and greeting him with a “good morning”. He then headed straight to the assistance desk to inquire about the location of the room where the interview will be held.

Jimin was too busy cheering himself up while walking to the elevator that when he rounded a corner in the hallway, he did not notice a group of people heading right to the same corner, only from the other side.

_Thud._

The sound of collective gasps by most of the men Jimin ran into and the other people around the area filled the hallway and the lobby. It was a chaos. The short boy winced as he tried to sit up with no one helping him.

The person he bumped into, on the other hand, was practically being lifted up by so many hands.

“S-Sorry.”  Jimin muttered his apology even before he was completely up from the floor. “A-Are you alright?”

“Yes.” The man answered, now shaking off the invisible dust particles on his red suit and pants that Jimin deemed more expensive than his life.

“I’m sorry again.” Jimin bowed down in apology before turning on his heels to continue walking to the elevator. It was alright, really, if he just did not catch the sharp and harsh words muttered by Mr. Red.

“I get that his eyes are small, but he can’t be _too_ blind. Even blind people won’t run into me that easily.”

He could not believe his ears. Did Jimin just hear the man putting all the blame on him? And not just that – he flat out insulted Jimin.

Unfortunately, though, Jimin was never one to stay quiet at times like this.

“E-Excuse me? What did you say?” Jimin asked, turning to face the man again.

Mr. Red scoffed, riling Jimin up more. He really did not care if the man was filthy rich. He was raised well by his parents, so he was not going to let anyone step on him like that.

“I said,” the man started, taking on a smugger pose. “that you can’t be too blind to bump into me.”

“Ah, the nerve…” Jimin mumbled to himself. “Yah! Are you seriously blaming me on what happened? It was an accident, okay? We both did not see each other.”

“If you were careful enough, you wouldn’t have collided with me. But you weren’t only blind, you’re also careless… Ahh… I wonder what a person like you is doing here.”

_Oh._

“I could say the same thing to you.”

“I can’t be bothered. I’m too busy I don’t even understand why I’m letting you waste my time.”

Jimin sighed. He always wondered how rich people live. If it was like how _this_ man did, then he would rather live a simple life.

The brat was rude.

“Listen here, Mr. Red.” Jimin started, getting really worked up. “I don’t know how your parents raised you. It was an accident, and the least you could do was accept my sincere apology a while ago and just shut that insolent mouth of yours. Now I don’t care how much money you have in your bank account, I am _not_ afraid of you. And if anything, you should be scared one here, because that attitude of yours would make you end up alone.”

The flash of a scandalized look on the rude man’s previously stoic face was reward enough for Jimin. “Now, I won’t waste any more of your time, Mr. Menstruation Suit – ”

The designer’s words were cut off by the sound of a chuckle, making everyone glare at the offending man who was apparently one of the men accompanying Jimin’s current adversary. Seeing it as an opportunity to escape the situation, he quickly turned again and headed straight into the elevator. He smiled at the loud “yah!” that echoed along the hallway, satisfied.

 

 

“Yah! Y-You good for nothing! C-Come back here and fight me!” The man shouted, trying to catch up to Jimin’s disappearing figure, but one of his companions reminded him of how much time they have left before his appointment.

“R-Right.” He answered, clearing his throat and straightening himself again. “Let’s go. I have way more important things to deal with.”

Their group then continued walking to the conference room of the first floor as if nothing happened. Mr. Red, as Jimin called him, could feel the looks on him, but he had gotten quite used to it by now. He knew that attention came with money and fame.

_Fame._

He was famous, really. He had to be—he had been recognized as the youngest CEO in Korea, so there was no way he was not famous. But if he was famous, how come the man who bumped into him did not recognize him?

He internally groaned. It was not the right time to think about things like that.

When he reached the doors of the conference room, he stopped, and took a deep breath. He lifted his head up and put on his business face before finally opening the door.

“CEO of Wings company, Jeon Jungkook.” The person on the podium announced the moment Jungkook entered the room, prompting everyone in the room to stand up to acknowledge him. Jungkook simply nodded at them to tell them that it was fine to sit down before he himself took his seat.

Jungkook then turned his attention to the person who was presenting. The projection read “Pink Princess Corporation”.

“Continue with the presentation.”

The “Pink Princess Corporation” presentation finished three minutes after Jungkook’s arrival, and Jungkook was the first one to raise his hand to say something about it.

“You’re heading this project, right?” Jungkook asked, to which the presenter nodded. “Do you realize how big this deal it?”

“Yes, sir. Pink Princess Corporation is a multi-billion company with dozens of connections across various fields.”

“Then how are you planning on closing this deal?” Jungkook asked. “We have competition for this deal. If we fail to close this with them, the ten-year leading spree of Wings Company could end. Did you know that? And to think that our competitor is so much closer than us to sealing a deal with Pink Princess… are you not going to say anything about it?”

The conference room fell silent after Jungkook spoke, and even the presenter was not able to answer him. The young boss rolled his eyes before leaning forward, resting his elbows on the table.

“None of you even bothered to check just how much of a loss to our company the failure of this project is. I was waiting, patiently waiting for someone to say something about it in our past meetings regarding this project. Yet no one brought this up. And even now as the CEO I still do this kind of work for the company?”

“I apologize, sir.”

“I’ll take this.” Jungkook said, causing everyone to look at him in surprise. He quickly looked at all the board members in the eye before he stood up from his seat. “From what I saw, I was wrong to entrust this deal with anyone else. Mr. Do,” Jungkook called the attention of the project head. “Send me all of the files regarding this matter. Meeting adjourned.”

Without even waiting for everyone else’s response, Jungkook walked out of the room and headed straight to his office on the top floor.

“Ms. Hirai,” Jungkook called the attention of his secretary trailing right behind him. “Remind Mr. Do to send me all the files about the Pink Princess deal later. Also, set me an appointment with the CEO of Pink Princess Corporation.”

“What kind of appointment, sir?”

“A casual dinner.” Jungkook answered. “I need to get to know Kim Seokjin, befriend him, if possible. I’m gonna have to work on this deal myself.”

“Okay, sir.” The secretary answered. “But sir,” She trailed on, catching Jungkook’s attention. “Don’t stress yourself out too much, okay? You need to be healthy to close this deal.”

Jungkook smiled at the woman’s words, stopping in his tracks to face her.

“Thanks, Momo.”

 

 

“Good morning.” Jimin bowed as he greeted the people inside the interview room once he entered. When he looked up, he was a bit surprised to see only two people, one of them being Yoongi, even. The last time he had a job interview, five people interrogated him.

“Good morning, Mr. Park. Please take a seat.” The tall man beside Yoongi said while sorting some papers on the table in front of him. Some of the papers managed to fly out of his grasp, so he had to awkwardly reach for them while still on his seat.

It has nothing to do with Jimin’s lack of stature compared to him, but the applicant was a bit intimidated.

So he looked away from him and let his gaze wander to Yoongi, who gave him a small, encouraging smile. The pale male who seemed paler due to the black long sleeves he was wearing reached out to Jimin to get his portfolio and résumé.

“Introduce yourself.”

Jimin cleared his throat and turned on his work mode before speaking. “Good morning, I am Park Jimin, 26, from Busan, an event designer.”

Despite the nervousness he was feeling, Jimin kept a small smile on his face even as he watched the taller interviewer scan his unimpressive CV. His heart almost jumped out of his chest when the deep voice asked his dreaded question.

“Work experience.”

“I have handled some events back when I was still studying in university, events such as dormitory dinners. I also have successfully headed one project in my previous job.” Jimin finished, keeping his smile. Silence floated in the room for a few moments before the scary man spoke again.

“Is that all?”

Jimin swallowed hard before nodding. “Yes, sir.”

The interviewer nodded as he continued reading Jimin’s documents. The nervous applicant took the opportunity to send a hopeless look to Yoongi, who just raised a thumb at him. Jimin did not understand how his friend could think positively of his situation.

“Family.”

“I-I’m sorry?”

“Family background. Tell us about your family.”

“Oh… uhmm…” Jimin started. “I have a mother and a father, and I am their only child. We live a simple life in Busan… my father is a taxi driver while my mother is a house wife. Life was tough, and we could not afford luxuries, but it was enough. Recently, though, my mother was diagnosed with high blood pressure, so our finances suffered more than it already does.”

“I see. I’m sorry about your mother.”

“Thank you.”

“How about relationships?” Yoongi suddenly asked. Jimin raised a brow at the older, not recalling that his previous job interview asked about his love life. But since the taller beside Yoongi did not seem to mind the question, maybe it really was part of the interview in the company.

“Single, sir.” Jimin confidently answered, and he could not stop a slight smirk from gracing his features.

“Past relationships. Were you always single?”

“No, sir.”

“How would you feel if you are forced to work closely with your ex… partner?” Yoongi continued asking, his smile becoming increasingly smug. Jimin internally laughed at his ex-boyfriend’s question before easily answering it.

“I’m completely fine with it, sir. I don’t let personal life affect my work.”

“I see, I see.” Yoongi nodded. “How about having an affair with an officemate? How will that affect your performance?”

“Like what I said, sir, it won’t. Personal life is separate from work. I won’t jeopardize the company’s performance just because of my own issues.”

Yoongi let out a faint chuckle, throwing his head back before nodding again in understanding. He and his seatmate then stood up from their chairs and motioned for Jimin to come closer.

“Look here, Mr. Park.” The taller said once Jimin was right in front of him. “I have to be honest with you this early. You lack work experience. Under normal circumstances, we would not hire you. But we will, in trust Mr. Min’s recommendation. We are giving you a chance. Don’t let him, nor the company down.”

The interviewer’s words stung Jimin a lot that he really wanted to cry. But he knew he could not, not when he just told them of his professionalism. So with slightly trembling hands, Jimin shook both of the hands extended towards him when they congratulated him for entering the company, and thanked them before being ushered outside by Yoongi.

“Hyung…”

“Shhhh… you did well, Jimin, you really did.” Yoongi shushed the younger who let his guard down right when the two stepped out of the interview room. “I was pretty amazed at how well you handled it.”

“I’m scared, hyung.” Jimin finally admitted, looking down on the tiled floor at he let Yoongi lead the way. “It just isn’t my non-existent reputation that is on the line here. Also yours.”

“And I know you won’t let me down, Jimin. I believe that much in you.” The elder said. “Now, do you want to have some snacks with me? My treat.”

“Okay.”

The two made their way out of the company building and went to the nearby café. Since Jimin was still a bit shocked from his interview, Yoongi ordered drinks for the two of them while he let Jimin wait for him on a free spot.

When the elder came back with their food, Jimin cleared his throat and took a deep breath.

“Thanks again, hyung. You really helped me a lot.”

“Nah… don’t mention it.” Yoongi coolly answered, taking a sip of his espresso. “We’re friends after all. And friends help each other. Now listen carefully, okay? I will orient you just a bit.”

“Okay.”

“The tall guy that interviewed you earlier is Kim Namjoon, the CEO’s brother. He does not really hold any office in the company, but he acts as the CEO’s adviser. It was actually supposed to be the CEO to interview you with me, and god, that man is a handful. So be thankful the CEO had an appointment.”

“I see… he’s intimidating, really.” Jimin said. “And his deep voice did not help in making me more at ease back there.”

“Yeah… he really looks intimidating, doesn’t he? Well… don’t be deceived by his looks. He’s a huge dork, I tell you that much.”

“Really?” Jimin asked. “Wow… I couldn’t imagine him being… not-intimidating.”

“Oh don’t be afraid of him. However, his brother, the CEO, Jeon Jungkook, is a whole different story altogether.”

The younger raised a brow at his hyung’s words. He did not just bash his own boss, did he?

“What do you mean?”

“The boy’s a brat. Maybe his achievements got into him. Actually, he’s recognized as the youngest CEO in Korea, at the age of 24.”

“What?!” Jimin exclaimed, surprised. “24?!”

“I know right!” Yoongi answered. “He’s so good that his father decided to step down early to rest and gave the position to him.”

“But… isn’t Kim Namjoon older? Why did he give it to the younger son?”

“Namjoon was not interested in the corporate world. And his father respected that.”

Jimin hummed in understanding. He marveled at how easy and amazing life was to some people. But he was also saddened by the fact that some people are already out there, doing stuff, making their mark on the world, while he was still the same old Jimin. Still struggling. Still lost.

“So, as I was saying. Try your best to not get involved in Jeon Jungkook’s matters. No one knows why, but the young boy is so harsh. Yeah, he’s really, really good in doing his job, but the brat’s got literally zero people skills.” Yoongi continued warning the younger.

“I understand, hyung.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys!!! Here's the third chapter for this story!!!

**_3_ **

Jimin came in a lot earlier than required on his first day. He was supposed to be there at eight o’clock sharp, but he was a bit too excited that he arrived at the main lobby of the Wings Company at 7:30.

He and his hyung Yoongi agreed that they meet at the lobby fifteen minutes before eight, but Jimin did not want to make the older wait. He had known Yoongi for too long to know that the grumpy hyung, despite his laziness, was not fond of late people.

That is how Jimin found himself staring at the grandiose chandelier hanging from the high ceiling.

“Jiminie,” a voice made him quickly lower his gaze back to eye-level. “You’re early.”

“Good morning, hyung.” Jimin smiled his usual eye smile to Yoongi, who readily returned it. “I just don’t want to make you wait.”

“You still haven’t change.” Yoongi remarked. “Oh well, let’s start. Follow me.”

The younger just nodded before trailing behind Yoongi, who proceeded to giving the new employee a tour of the building. Floor by floor, Yoongi showed Jimin the locations of the different departments of the multi-disciplinary company. He also showed the offices of the remarkable people of the company, including the office of the department heads, the conference rooms, and the office of the chief executive officer and the president.

Along the way, Yoongi also oriented Jimin on the rules of using the different communal equipment of the establishment, including the photocopiers, the coffee machine, vending machines, and the comfort rooms.

“Wow, hyung, this is a really big room!” Jimin remarked once he and his hyung entered a room filled with beds.

“Yeah… is was also shocked at first.” Yoongi answered. “There are three rooms of this kind, one on every seventh floor. The company values its employees just as much as it values its clients, and they understand that some of us will need a good rest. Working here is taxing, not just mentally and physically, but also emotionally. And sometimes, the only thing you can do to relieve stress on site is sleep.”

Jimin just nodded in amazement. He suddenly felt more grateful that he got the chance to work in such an outstanding company.

“When you are looking for me and I am not in the music department, you’ll most likely find me in one of the sleeping rooms.” Yoongi chuckled, earning a laugh from the younger.

After that, Yoongi led Jimin to the fifth floor and entered a large office filled with cubicles. Jimin smiled after reading the large “Design and Creatives Department” embossed in chrome-plated metal on the large wall to his left upon entering the office.

“Here,” Yoongi started upon the two’s arrival at an empty cubicle. “Is your space.”

“Oh my god… I really can’t believe it.” Jimin covered his mouth, unable to contain his happiness upon seeing the ID on his—yes, _his_ new workspace. He carefully lifted it from the desk and donned it proudly.

“And here,” Yoongi continued, handing an envelope to Jimin. “Is your first list of assignments.”

The younger let out a fake groan. “Why is it a ‘list’?”

Yoongi just chuckled, before giving Jimin a pat on the back and leaving the newcomer to explore on his own.

Jimin, still amazed at the turn of events in his life, slowly put his bag down on the desk and took a seat on the black office chair. He sighed happily at the feeling. He closed his eyes and let it all sink in before he sat up straight to start with his list.

He was just about to reach for the envelope that Yoongi handed him when he was shocked by a deep, resonant voice coming from his left.

“Good morning.”

Jimin took a couple of deep breaths before he faced the side where the voice came from. Just above the cubicle divider, was a head. A very pretty head.

“H-Hi.” Jimin answered. “Good morning to you, too.”

The head then disappeared, only to reappear moments later in Jimin’s cubicle, along with the guy’s whole body.

“I’m Kim Taehyung. I work in the cubicle to your left.” The guy introduced himself. “You must be replacing Tiffany-noona. You know, she was great and all, actually. But then she met this guy, and now she wants to ‘settle down’ and get married, so she quit her job here.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Jimin retorted, a bit overwhelmed by Taehyung’s friendliness. Also, he actually did not anything about the person he was replacing, so he really did not know how to respond.

“What’s your name?”

“Jimin.” The still-baffled shorter answered. “Park Jimin.”

The two then shook hands before Taehyung disappeared back to his own cubicle. If people are that friendly in his new work environment, Jimin thought, he will really like working in Wings Company.

Smiling to himself, Jimin proceeded to opening the list of the tasks.

 

> _“Get to know the people working to your left and to your right.”_
> 
>  

Jimin raised his brow at the first task. He already got to know the one to his left, so there was only one more person remaining before his first task was done. Using the screen of his computer as a mirror, Jimin quickly checked his appearance before standing up to acquaint himself with the owner of the cubicle to his right.

When he took a look at the person to his right, he was disarmed by the level of visuals the person has. Taehyung was really, really, gorgeous. And so was this person.

“H-Hello.” Jimin stuttered out a greeting, smiling at the tan man, who was now looking confusedly at him. And judging on his build, the man looked really, really tall.

“Oh, hi.” He smiled at Jimin. His voice was nice too. “You must be replacing Tiffany-noona.”

“Yeah.” Jimin answered. “Nice meeting you, I’m Park Jimin.”

“Hi, I’m Jeon Wonwoo.” He introduced himself, smiling even more. Jimin noticed that the guy was not wearing an ID. Maybe the company was not strict about the ID thing while inside the establishment.

“And I’m Kim Mingyu!” The guy on the other side of Wonwoo’s cubicle introduced himself. He too, was good-looking, with his eyes looking so tiny. His skin was also paler than Wonwoo’s or Taehyung’s. And right now, since he was smiling widely, his eyes were reduced to mere slits.

“Hi. Please take care of me.” Jimin smiled before bowing down at his two seniors. He then went back to his own cubicle to take a look at his second task, since task one was easily completed.

 

> _“Bring two cups of coffee to office 1323. One with no sugar, and no creamer, one of you own blend.”_
> 
>  

“Typical tasks for a newcomer.” Jimin sighed, standing up. He heard hushed chuckling coming from somewhere, but he ignored it and proceeded to going to the coffee machine in the office, where he found Taehyung already taking a swig at his cup of coffee.

“Oh, Jiminie!” Taehyung smiled. Since when did they become close enough to call each other nicknames?

“Hi, Taehyung-ssi.”

“Oh, come on! Just call me Taehyung or TaeTae or Tae. Your choice.” Taehyung answered. “You’re also a coffee person, eh?”

“Yuh…” Jimin answered, already taking two cup to make the coffee. “Actually, I wasn’t going to make a cup, but one of my tasks is to bring coffee to office 1326, wherever that is.”

“Did they not give you a tour of the building?”

“They did, actually.” Jimin embarrassedly answered. “Just that… I’m not really good at directions.”

“Oh, I see.” Taehyung nodded. After a few moments of silence, Taehyung spoke again. “Do you want me to accompany you?”

“Don’t you have something to do?” Jimin questioned, to which Taehyung answered with a shake of his head. “Then… I would really appreciate it.”

“Okay, nice!” Taehyung clapped.  He patiently waited for Jimin to finish making the two cups of coffee that he needed to bring to the office in the list before he led him to the elevator to the 13th floor.

While inside the elevator, and as Jimin carried two cups of coffee—one creamy and one black—using a cup holder, the two chatted and got to know more about each other. Jimin learned that Taehyung was just the same age as him, and that he was just as wise as he was weird. He also learned that Taehyung was just really, really friendly, and that he was really, really gay, because Taehyung often whispered to him about the cute guy that rode the elevator with them.

In return, Jimin also shared that he was also gay, and that he came from a family in Busan who did not accept him at first, but eventually learned to love him for who he was.

Once they arrived, Jimin read the label aloud. “Music and Production Department.”

“Yeah, that’s right.” Taehyung said as they continued walking to the specific office number. When they got to office 1326, Jimin slightly flinched at the text on the plate stuck to the front of the door.

 

> _“Music Department Head.”_
> 
>  

“R-Really? A department head?” Jimin asked Taehyung. “First day and I am to meet the department head of the music department?”

“Yeah, that’s weird, actually.” Taehyung answered. “During my first day, I was also tasked to bring cups of coffee to different offices. None of those was a department head office.”

Jimin groaned before composing himself. He was not to let his first day become a day of epic fails. He did not want to embarrass himself in front of a high-ranking person.

“You ready?” Taehyung asked, and Jimin nodded. He then knocked on the door twice before turning the knob to enter the room.

Jimin felt like fainting in nervousness.

“Ah, just about time.”

“Yoongi-hyung!” Jimin said in surprise as his nervousness quickly died down. “You’re the music department head?!”

“Yup.” Yoongi answered with a popping “p” sound at the end. “And I see you already made friends with—” Yoongi continued, only to stop midsentence when he turned his gaze to Jimin’s companion.

“Hello, sir. I’m Kim Taehyung.” Taehyung introduced himself and bowed.

“H-Hello, Kim Taehyung-ssi.”

Jimin sent Yoongi a weird look, surprised by what just happened. Did the legendary Min Yoongi just stutter? And was that a blush he was seeing on the pale skin of Yoongi’s cheeks?

“I just brought Jiminie here, because he said he was bad with directions.” Taehyung explained his presence. “Jiminie, sir, I’ll leave now.”

“N-No!” Yoongi called after Taehyung’s retreating form. The said man sent Yoongi a surprised look before looking questioningly at Jimin, who just shrugged his shoulders, because even he did not know what was happening.

“I-I mean you can stay. It’s always great to get to know new people, d-don’t you think?” Yoongi continued, looking away at the floor, confusing Jimin even more.

Realizing that Yoongi wanted to make friends with him, and that he was not a scary as he initially thought, Taehyung smiled his boxy smile and nodded before joining Jimin to take a seat.

“Hyung, what the hell?” Jimin asked with the soundless motion of his lips. The elder just ignored his question.

“So, since this is the second task, I guess you already did your first task?” Yoongi asked instead, choosing the ignore Jimin’s judgmental look at him.

“Yeah, obviously.” Jimin answered. “Taehyung here is the person to my left. And the person to my right is Jeon Wonwoo.”

“Wrong.” Yoongi answered. “It isn’t Jeon Wonwoo. Did you skip the task?”

“What?” Jimin asked, confused. “But he said he’s—”

“Let me explain.” Taehyung butted in. “Jeon Wonwoo and Kim Mingyu are dorks. So they actually exchanged names to confuse our Jiminie here.”

“What?”

“Oh, I see.” Yoongi nodded. “That’s very probable, knowing the two.”

“Wait, wait,” Jimin said, still confused. “So you two are saying that Mingyu and Wonwoo actually tricked me?”

“Yeah, that’s so like them.” Yoongi said.

“How come you don’t know Tae then, if you know Mingyu and Wonwoo?”

“Mingyu and Wonwoo are famous for being the mischievous, but efficient pair in the design department. They have been at risk of being fired multiple times already, so… yeah. They’re quite famous.” Taehyung answered. “Yeah, they’re good-looking. But if they are famous for that, then I will be even more famous than them.”

“Vain.” Jimin remarked, earning him a glare from Taehyung. He then turned his attention to Yoongi, who just watched the two bicker. “But really, though. Why are my assignments like this?”

“The first day is really all about getting to know the company.” Yoongi answered, propping himself up using his elbows on the table. “The company values its employees—its assets—and it wants us to be in a perfectly conducive environment. And for that to happen, you have to feel at home here. So that before you face any serious assignment, you already have established a support system founded on friendship.”

Jimin smiled. He decided that he will really, really like it in the company.

A few more minutes was spent with Jimin, Taehyung and Yoongi having a light-hearted conversation, or in Jimin’s point of view, it was more like Yoongi ogling at the oblivious Taehyung. Jimin have not seen Yoongi like that since they broke up.

The last time Jimin saw Yoongi look at someone the way he looked at Taehyung was when they first started dating, and that was years ago. Maybe he could tease Yoongi about it later on.

“Wait a sec,” Yoongi excused himself as the three of them are in the midst of talking about Jimin’s first job and how he quit it to take a call. The two younger men continued to talk in hushed voices, stopping only when Yoongi came back to them.

“I’m afraid I’ll have to say good bye for now.” Yoongi said, looking a bit disappointed. “I just got a call that I have to go somewhere. See you next time guys.”

“Yeah, yeah, it was nice meeting you, hyung,” Taehyung answered, standing up. “I’m gonna take Jiminie back to the creatives department.”

“Awww… hyung, don’t be too sad.” Jimin said, smirking at Yoongi. “You’ll see TaeTae more in the future—I mean Tae and me.”

“What are you talking about?” Yoongi asked, getting ready to leave and ignoring Jimin’s effort in teasing. “Anyway, Taehyung, take Jimin. He’ll get lost if you don’t.”

“YAH!”

“Come here Jiminie, let me guide you back to your home.”

“I can go back on my own you assholes!”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.”

 

 

“Tae,” Jimin called Taehyung’s attention, looking at the light positioned just above him. “Is there something wrong with this elevator?”

“Yeah… it’s like that when it is under maintenance.” The taller answered. “That’s actually a special elevator—only the CEO and his guests could use it.”

“Ohhh…” Jimin nodded in understanding. The two of them were waiting for the elevator to go back to fifth floor after meeting Yoongi in his office. Just when the elevator was about to reach their floor, Jimin’s phone dinged, indicating the entry of a new message.

He felt his side pockets for his phone, and when he found it, began reading as the elevator door opened. He simply followed Taehyung’s lead through his peripheral vision.

 

> _From: Yoongi-hyung_
> 
> _You asshole, don’t mention to Taehyung what you noticed earlier, he might freak out!_
> 
> _And let’s meet up some time outside work? ;)_

“Aishhh… this lovesick fool.” Jimin chuckled, standing right in front of Taehyung, and beside the only other occupant of the elevator. He quickly sent a reply to Yoongi before putting the phone back in his pocket.

However, when he looked straight ahead, he caught the sight of a familiar face.

_Mr. Red._

Only, Mr. Red was now wearing an all-black outfit. It looks much more decent for Jimin, but he still was irritated by the presence.

He really was not in the mood to deal with the rude kid. The day was going all too well in his favor. He was not to ruin it.

Another glance at Mr. Red through the reflection on the elevator door revealed that he was as well looking at Jimin, and when their gazes met, Mr. Red showed an expression Jimin could only describe as “shook-ness”.

However, the surprised look was quickly replaced by a glare, which Jimin gladly returned. They continued on with their glaring-through-the-elevator-door when the said door opened to let in a few people.

“Good morning, sir.” Said people bowed down, amazing Jimin, because he was just new. Maybe they were really that nice to new recruits?

He was about to reply a greeting when the person beside him—Mr. Red, answered with a “good morning”.

That was when Jimin started contemplating.

And as the new occupants of the cramped elevator squished him closer to the now smirking Mr. Red, Jimin felt all the goodness of the day leave him. The elevator suddenly felt so small, and the air so thin.

_Why did they call him “sir”? Does that mean he’s a high-ranking member of the company? Just who is this guy?_

Jimin continued to think. He then recalled the events of their first encounter. He remembered the words that he so harshly threw at the guy.

 

> _“Listen here, Mr. Red. I don’t know how your parents raised you. It was an accident, and the least you could do was accept my sincere apology a while ago and just shut that insolent mouth of yours. Now I don’t care how much money you have in your bank account, I am not afraid of you. And if anything, you should be scared one here, because that attitude of yours would make you end up alone.”_
> 
>  

“Oh my god…” Jimin whispered to himself, willing the elevator floor to swallow him. “Just… oh my god…”

 

> _“Now, I won’t waste any more of your time, Mr. Menstruation Suit – ”_
> 
>  

Jimin was screwed. He knew it. He now has to quit his job, just when he was starting to like it. Or maybe he would not have to quit it. He will get fired, for sure.

Maybe apologizing will do it? Jimin did not know what to do anymore. He was so horrified that when the elevator dinged at the fifth floor, Jimin ran straight out of the elevator so fast that Taehyung had to rush just to catch up to him.

“Jiminie, what’s the matter?” Taehyung worriedly asked Jimin, who was now a bit pale and panting. “Why did you run like that?”

“Y-You…” Jimin panted out, still amazed at how unlucky he was as a person. “Why didn’t you tell me we were riding the elevator with a high-ranked official?”

Taehyung sent Jimin a confused look. “What do you mean? I thought you should know by now who that person is.”

Jimin took a deep breath, and sighed to calm himself down. He was not ready to face the consequences of his past. Just not yet. But well… fate was never on his side.

“Just… who was that, really?” Jimin asked. He was afraid to know the answer, but he had to, so he could do something about his situation.

“It’s Jeon Jungkook, the CEO. Maybe he rode that elevator because his was under maintenance.”

“Oh fuck…” Jimin said, almost on the verge of crying.

“I’m screwed, am I not?”


	4. [4]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys!!! I'm so sorry for updating a little bit later than usual AHAHAHA so anyway here's the chapter. It turned out shorter than I thought.

He could not laugh out loud, not while he was still in the elevator with some employees. The look of pure horror in the boy’s face when he realized who Jungkook was—it was priceless. He had every right to escape from the situation. He was clearly outplayed.

But if he really was working in the Wings Company, there was no way the unnamed boy was going to avoid him for all time. It was only a matter of days before he would come to Jungkook on his knees, apologizing for the rather insulting words he so carelessly spit onto Jungkook’s face the first time they met.

So Jungkook just internally laughed.  The smug smirk on his face did not go away, even while he was boarding his car parked in the basement to drive to the meeting place his secretary, Momo, has set.

The restaurant where he had asked Momo to book a reservation for two for him was quite far—it was nearer to Pink Princess’s main building, for Kim Seokjin’s convenience.

Today was the start of his own, private attempt at winning over Kim Seokjin and getting the deal.

But when he arrived, he could not stop himself from cursing silently, because apparently, he was late. Well, not really, because he was fifteen minutes ahead of the appointment. However, Kim Seokjin was already sitting on one of the seats in the reserved spot. At least he did not look too bored.

Gathering a bit of courage, Jungkook straightened himself up and entered. The moment he stepped into the place, the man he was meeting turned his attention to him and sent a warm smile.

“I’m so sorry for keeping you waiting.” Jungkook bowed to the taller once he was close enough.

“Oh, no, no! I was just early.” Seokjin answered, and the younger just nodded. “Let’s take a seat, okay?”

“Okay.” Jungkook answered. He, with confidence, took a seat on the chair opposite Seokjin and briefly scanned the area with his doe eyes.

“So,” Seokjin started, taking a sip on the goblet of water on the table. “What do you want to talk about, Jungkook-ssi.”

Said man smiled. “Nothing in particular. I just really want to get to know you, Seokjin-ssi. You seem like a nice person. And besides,” He continued, momentarily stopping to acknowledge the server who filled his glass with water. “I really think it would be nice for us to get acquainted with each other, so we would know how to work with each other in the very near future.”

Seokjin nodded in understanding. He then leaned back on his chair and smirked.

“I now understand why you’re so successful.” He said, causing Jungkook’s expression to change.

“I-I’m sorry, what?”

“Nothing.” Seokjin smiled. “I said nothing.”

Their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of the reserved food for the two of them. Being filthy rich, Jungkook did not risk it, and safely ordered the most expensive and famous dish of the restaurant to impress Seokjin with. He knew it would not be easy to impress him, because while he was the head of a design company, he was already a renowned cook.

“I wanted to ask,” Seokjin restarted the conversation when it was just the two of them. “How does it feel like? Being the youngest CEO in Korea, as well as being one of the most successful?”

“Ah, thank you.” Jungkook, with feigned shyness, answered. He was already used to the praises. “It’s nice, really. I get lots of attention from the business world and media. Also, it helps with the reputation of the company.”

“You know, the way you run the company seems at par with someone with years of experience in the corporate life.” Seokjin continued. “You must’ve started really young, then.”

“Yeah… kind of.” The younger answered. “I’ve been into this kind of life ever since I was a little kid. So when my father finally let me tag along with him, I took the opportunity to learn. And here I am now.” He ended with a chuckle.

“Oh, so you’re the eldest?”

“No… not really.” Jungkook retorted. “I have an older brother, but he was not interested in these kinds of things.”

“Good thing your father did not hate him for it.”

“Nah, the old man was all support for us.” Jungkook smiled. “He just encouraged us to go for the things that we want to achieve. He trained me really well when I decided I wanted to run the company. He funded my hyung’s education, and even went to his recitals when he decided to pursue a career in music, and later on, he also supported his pursuance of philosophy.”

“Aww… what a nice family you have.” Seokjin fondly said. “It’s more or less perfect, don’t you think?”

“Far from it, but yeah, it was really, really nice.” Jungkook answered. He sliced a small piece of meat from the steak on his plate, jabbed on it with his fork, before putting it in his mouth. Right after swallowing it, he took the chance to ask things about his companion.

“How about you, Seokjin-ssi?” Jungkook started. “You know, you don’t seem that old either. A man in his late 20’s heading the leading design company in Korea. How do you do it?”

Seokjin briefly wiped his mouth with the napkin before speaking. “Thanks for saying I look young.” He chuckled. “Really, I don’t know! I guess it’s about dedication, honesty, and luck.” He paused for a while to drink. “Lots of luck.”

The two of them let out mannered laughs at Seokjin’s words. Personally, Jungkook believed that luck did not play that much of an important part in life. For him, success was all about hard work, determination, and doing everything you can to stay on top.

But of course, since he was on a mission to impress Kim Seokjin, he just agreed.

“I see, I see.” Jungkook nodded, slicing more of the meat from the steak. “How about your family, then, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Father’s dead.” Seokjin answered abruptly, taking Jungkook off guard. “I only have my mother in my life now.”

“I-I’m sorry.”

“Nah, it’s okay.” The elder assured Jungkook. “It’s been a long, long time. I was still in school when it happened. So it does not hurt that much now.”

Jungkook did not see that coming. He was pretty stable with communicating with people, but this way new ground for him. He had avoided confrontations involving sad topics, and now that he needed it the most, he silently wished he had practiced more on it.

“I-I understand.” Jungkook stuttered, causing Seokjin to look at him curiously.

“Hey, Jungkook-ssi, you’re fine, don’t worry.”

“No, I-I’m sorry.” Jungkook insisted. He took a deep breath in an attempt to pacify himself again, and it worked. “I… I’m just not used to talking about sad topics, really. I feel so insensitive right now.”

“No, I tell you, it’s okay.” Seokjin answered. “I am happy with how my life—our family’s life—turned out. And I am sure my father is happy, too.”

Jungkook smiled at Seokjin’s words—a genuine smile. The way the elder talked was really pleasing to him. It sounded like listening to decades’ worth of wisdom. He reminds him of his brother, Namjoon, but Seokjin was more on the tender, emotional side, while Namjoon had a more philosophical take on things.

“So… how about love life?” Jungkook dared ask. With this, he was quite comfortable. Even though he was not in a relationship himself, he felt like he could contribute to conversations about love.

“Oh, that.” Seokjin answered, then let out a labored sigh that caused Jungkook to internally panic. He wondered if he said the wrong thing again.

“What do mean ‘oh, that’?” Jungkook asked, a bit wary. He watched as Seokjin took a sip from his water before answering, or more like mumbling to himself.

“Ah… I wonder if you are open-minded.”

“Excuse me, what?”

“I just broke up with him, like… a few months ago.” Seokjin answered, making Jungkook’s expression fall. Again, he made a wrong move.

“That’s… too bad.” Jungkook remarked. “Why’d you break up with her?”

This time, instead of words, Jungkook got a raised brow from Seokjin as an answer. His worry heightened even more after seeing the elder’s expression, because it seemed like he thought Jungkook was already invading his privacy.

“Y-You may not—”

“You weren’t listening, are you?” Seokjin answered, smiling a bit. His question made Jungkook even more confused than he already is. “I said it was a ‘he’, not a ‘she’.”

Now that baffled Jungkook to the extremes. He was not ready to talk about sad conversations. But he never imagined that he would talk to someone about gay relationships.

And as someone straight, he really was not knowledgeable about this kind of things.

Or maybe he just heard wrong? Jungkook really did not know. Seokjin certainly did not seem like gay. Yes, maybe he really, really loved the color pink enough to name his company after the said color. Yes, maybe he was a really, really good cook. And yes, maybe he looked too pretty.

Oh fuck.

Jungkook definitely should have researched more about the person he was meeting.

“Yes, Jungkook-ssi, I am gay.” Seokjin started again, smiling, seemingly relaxed. “And I broke up with _him_ because I caught _him_ cheating on me. With a girl.” He said, being kind enough to emphasize his use of the masculine pronouns. And with each stressed word, Jungkook internally flinched.

“O-Oh.”

“Yeah, I know.” Seokjin sighed. “Maybe he was just using me for financial gains or something. I really should’ve listened to my mother.”

A not-so-brief moment of silence floated after Seokjin closed his mouth. Feeling the need to say something—because it was really getting too uncomfortable and awkward for him—Jungkook cleared his throat and tried to sound as stable as possible.

“M-Maybe it’s just a… misunderstanding?” He suggested, not even sounding sure of himself.

“I do not see how I could misunderstand seeing my boyfriend making out with a girl with already half of their clothes off.” Seokjin retorted with a hint of spite in his voice. Jungkook could only let out an “oh” as a response.

“You know,” Seokjin sighed, looking down at the remaining half of the steak Jungkook ordered for him. “It would really be great to see great love for gay people like me. Happy endings. Just like the ones in the stories.”

All that Jungkook could reply was a forced smile. He really, really did not get how “unnatural” things like gay relationships work, and he already said enough bad things in front of Seokjin today. He would not want to get into the elder’s “bad people” list.

Fortunately for him, though, he did not have to think of a reply anymore, because soon after Seokjin finished talking, his phone rang.

“Okay, that’s my cue.” The elder said, fixing himself and standing up. “It was nice meeting you, Jungkook.”

Jungkook stood up from his chair, still a bit lost. “Y-Yeah. It was a pleasure, Seokjin-ssi.”

“Awww… you’re too formal. You can just call me Jin-hyung, or something like that. We’re friends now.”

Jungkook would have felt accomplished if he was not internally freaking out. “Okay, hyung.” He answered.

“I am going to attend as a guest speaker in a talk about gay relationships and LGBT empowerment. You may go with me if you want to.”

“I-I won’t be able to right now, unfortunately.” Jungkook sheepishly replied. “I-I’m kind of busy, too.”

“Yeah, I know.” Seokjin sighed. “Maybe next time, then?”

“Yeah, s-sure!” The younger answered, afterwards reaching out for the hand held towards him for a handshake. He absentmindedly watched the older leave the restaurant in his seat.

Once he was alone, he let his guard down and did not bother hiding his confusion anymore, staring off at nothing. He only waited for his mental state to stabilize again before he stood up from his seat and left to go back to his office.

“At least I had a little progress.” Jungkook mumbled to himself once he was in the safety of his office. “He even considers me his friend now.”

Even though his lunch with Kim Seokjin was way beyond what Jungkook had imagined, at the end of the day, he was still able to accomplish his goal. And now that he was done with step one, which was getting to know Seokjin, he can proceed to gaining his trust. One step at a time.

But his calmness was demolished when he received a message from his contact in the Pink Princess.

 

> _From: Cinderella_
> 
> _Sir, you have to hurry. The board is starting to look into the competition’s proposals. They have been setting appointments non-stop._

“Damn it!” Jungkook cursed, his stress levels rising to dangerous levels. He then let out a groan of frustration. Forget about the “one step at a time” strategy. He had to act fast.

Grabbing himself a cup of coffee, Jungkook took a seat on his thinking chair and closed his eyes. He knew he had to think of the fastest way that he could use gain Seokjin’s trust. He knew establish a connection with Seokjin—something that would easily get the elder to know that they are allies.

Jungkook knew that he had to show that they were on the same page. That they had the same vision.

Jungkook opened his eyes and stood up as realization on what to do hit him.

He had to find himself a boyfriend.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, readers!!! I am so sorry for the very late update T_T There was some internet connection issue going on here, so I was not able to go online at all.   
> Anyway, this chapter turned out a lot shorter than I had initially thought, so again, sorry for waiting for a short, crappy chapter. T_T  
> Here it goes!

Jungkook took a deep breath to get more oxygen into his brain, hoping that it would help him think more clearly. The message he received from his mole in Pink Princess only made him feel like there was even less time remaining than he initially thought.

At least Kim Seokjin seemed like a friendly person. Getting closer to him would not be that much of a problem. However, getting him to sign a deal with him will take much more than just friendliness.

He needed to gain his trust. In all aspects.

And the fastest way to do that was to get into the same world with him.

“Should I ask Namjoon-hyung?” Jungkook asked to himself. He really did not know how the not-straight world worked, and it would really help if he could enlist the help of someone who at least had an idea. His hyung is bisexual—and while gay and bisexual are not the same, Namjoon would still know better than him.

With the thought of getting some help from the elder, Jungkook took his phone, dialed Namjoon’s number, and waited. Only after a few rings did Jungkook realize what was wrong with what he was about to do.

Namjoon had solid values. And Jungkook knew the elder would not approve of what he was about to do. He might even scold Jungkook, if he knew of the younger’s plans. Worst case scenario is Namjoon telling their father what Jungkook was up to.

“Hello?” Namjoon’s voice sounded from the phone, as Jungkook was too late in pressing the ‘end call’ button on his screen.

“H-Hi, hyung.” Jungkook stuttered into the receiver. He quickly cleared his throat before speaking again. “Where are you now?”

“In the music department.” The elder answered. “Why?”

“N-Nothing. Ahahaha…” Jungkook awkwardly answered. “I was just… uhm… curious.”

“Jungkook—”

“That’s really all, hyung.” Jungkook interrupted. “I’ll go now. Okay, bye!”

“Yah—”

And he ended the call. Jungkook scrunched his face up in disgust towards his own stupidity. How could he have not thought of Namjoon’s values before he made the call?

“Ahhh… I’m sure he knows something’s up.” The young CEO groaned, and rubbed his temples in frustration. He needed to think of something to say to the elder once he comes to ask Jungkook about the call. And this time, he needed to think a little bit more carefully.

It would not be so easy to dupe someone with an IQ of 148.

 

 

“Oh god…” Jimin mumbled, sighing afterwards as he scanned the files the department head sent him. His reaction was nothing about the assignment. It was about his work condition.

He just could not believe his luck. How could he—out of all the people on Earth—offend his boss, even before he started working in the company? If he lost the job because of what happened on the day of his interview, he would probably have to go home to Busan and get a job that pays, at least. Maybe this whole working in Seoul thing was not for him.

“Why me?”

“Are you alright?” Taehyung asked from his side, the said man appearing right after, riding his office chair.

“Yeah.” Jimin answered. “Do I not look like I’m fine?”

“Well, you don’t _look_ stressed, I should say,” Taehyung retorted, tilting his head to one side. “You just… sound stressed. All I heard from you since you came in today are sighs, groans and ‘oh god’s.”

Jimin blinked once. Twice. And then, he released another groan that got Taehyung chuckling.

“I’m the most unlucky person in all of Korea, Tae.” Jimin sadly stated. “I really am.”

“Awww… don’t say that, come on.” The other answered. “At least you still have a job.”

“At least for now, I do.” Jimin said. “Once our boss has decided I’m no fun anymore, he’ll fire me. I’m sure of that.”

“Maybe.” Taehyung shrugged, returning to his cubicle. “Or maybe not. Who knows? Just focus on work, for now.”

Jimin nodded in understanding. “You know what? You’re right.” He said before standing up to get his cup of coffee. He liked it creamy, but since he was stressed, he made the drink extra creamy, and also added a little bit more sugar. Leave it to good, sweet, and creamy coffee to lift his mood.

“I’ll just have to work hard, so when the time comes that he would want to fire me, he would not have that much grounds to do so. Firing me will be a loss on his part.” Jimin smiled, encouraging himself. His family back in Busan are depending on him. His parents are already old—it is about time for him to give them a comfortable life.

And he was not going to let some immature boss ruin that.

With that thought in mind, Jimin went back to his cubicle, and got to work. First off was research about the current trends in event design and aesthetics. Channeling the researching skills that he honed during his education, Jimin started on his task with enthusiasm and renewed spirits.

 

 

Jungkook squinted his eyes in front of his computer screen, trying to make sense of the words written on the Wikihow page of “How to Gain People’s Trust.” Yes, he was already that desperate. But sometimes, dire situations require dire measures.

The young CEO was already on the verge of losing hope, but he knew better than to give up. Every minute that he spent doing nothing was time for the competition to win over the hearts of the board of Pink Princess, and that fact was stressing Jungkook out.

He was in the middle of section two on the Wikihow page when he heard the door bell, prompting him to hurriedly close the browser tab of the not-so-trustworthy source he decided to consult. He momentarily fixed himself up before pressing the button on his table to open the speakers.

“Who is it?” He asked.

“Namjoon.”

Upon learning that it was his brother, Jungkook took a deep breath before pressing another button to open the door. “Hey, what’s up, hyung.”

“I should be asking that question to you.” Namjoon answered. “Why’d you call me?”

“I was just wondering if you’re fine.” Jungkook hastily answered. “Nothing more, really.”

“Really?” Namjoon queried. He raised his brow on his brother, and gauged his reaction. Seeing that Jungkook was unfazed, Namjoon dropped the attempt. He knew how stubborn his younger brother could be. Insisting was pointless.

“Okay, I get it.” Namjoon sighed. “I’ll just trust on you whatever that is, Kook.”

The older’s words had an effect on the said male. It made Jungkook feel a bit guilty because of his plans. He knew what he was about to do was wrong, morally, but he would still do it for the company. He was not going to let his employees down. He was not going to let his father down.

Jungkook just nodded at Namjoon, feeling the awkwardness in the room slowly, but constantly growing. The younger felt like it was just him who could feel it.

“By the way,” Jungkook started, trying to divert his hyung’s attention. “Do you know of new employees in the company?”

“Uhmmm… yeah.” Namjoon answered. “There’s only one, though. Park Jimin.”

“Park Jimin?” The younger asked, to which his brother nodded to. “The short one? With small eyes?”

“Yeah, yeah, that one.”

“Park Jimin, huh?” Jungkook nodded to himself, smirking. Now he knew of the newbie’s name. It was only a matter of time before he could get his revenge on the poor creature.

“I was actually the one who interviewed him.” Namjoon said, recalling his first meeting with the subject of their conversation. “He seemed really nice.

“Oh really?” Jungkook asked, getting more amused with the information. “Tell me more about him.”

“From what I remember,” Namjoon started. “Park Jimin quit his old job because he did not like how the company did not value the artistic value of the employees’ ideas, and only seek to serve customers. He was a new graduate from a university in Busan. Actually, he has a very, very under-decorated, unimpressive CV.”

Jungkook raised his eyebrow at his brother, confused that the older actually hired Park Jimin despite being overqualified for the job.

“I know, I know, it doesn’t seem like me to hire someone like that.” Namjoon said, nodding. “But Min Yoongi was the one who recommended him, and he trusts him so much.”

“Min Yoongi?” Jungkook asked. “Min Yoongi as in the Min Yoongi music department head?”

“Yes, that one.”

“Hmmm… that’s interesting.” Jungkook said. “He must be really good, if that genius from the music department trusts him that much.”

“Yeah, but there’s also… something.” Namjoon added. “I think I remember Yoongi-hyung mentioning that Park Jimin was his ex-boyfriend or something of that sort.”

“Ohh… I see.”

“And surprisingly, they seem pretty close, even though they used to be lovers.”

“I know…” Jungkook trailed off, already internally rejoicing. After knowing that the new employee was very inexperienced, and that he was basically hired because of his connections to the company, Jungkook knew that torturing Park Jimin will be an easy task. He was an easy target.

“Is there… something…”

“Nothing, hyung.” Jungkook said. “Thanks, that’s all I wanted to know.”

“Okay then.” Namjoon said, standing up from his seat. “I guess I’ll be going now.”

“Okay, hyung.”

And with that, Namjoon left Jungkook to his own thoughts. He mentally took note of everything that he learned from the conversation, and focused back on his task at hand.

Dealing with Park Jimin can come later. For now, wooing Kim Seokjin to be his business partner is a more important, immediate concern.

Jungkook searched for ‘gay relationships’ in his browser tab, and scanned the results. He eventually comes across an article featuring a talk about gay relationships in modern Korea. The talk that Kim Seokjin mentioned.

The young CEO scrunched his nose in disgust upon seeing the cover photo of the article—a couple, two men, kissing. It was unnatural for Jungkook. Yes, he might or might not have seen a few videos of male to male ‘action’, back when he was still exploring as a confused teenager. But even then, he did not like seeing kissing between two people of the same sex.

Jungkook was just about to close the browser tab of the article when he noticed someone at the background. It was Seokjin, holding a microphone, sporting a huge smile on his face. His hands were also positioned as if he was just about to clap for the couple.

“He’s really supportive when it comes to things like this.” Jungkook said to himself. His thoughts of proceeding with the plan was getting stronger and stronger by the second.  “Ughhh… what do I do now?”

His super stressed state was interrupted by another sound of the door bell.

“Who is it?”

“Hirai Momo, sir.”

“Okay.”

After Jungkook unlocked the door for his secretary, the female entered the room, and smiled at her boss.

“I was just gonna update you with your schedule for today.” Momo said, her voice still the usual high-pitched, cutesy one. “For today, you are free. You don’t have any appointment left.”

“Oh, I see.” Jungkook said, nodding. He then looked at Momo and gave her a smile. “You may go home now. Rest.”

“Thank you, sir.” Momo said, bowing. “You, too, sir. Remember to rest every once in a while.”

The man chuckled a bit at Momo’s words. “Yes, yes, thanks, and I will.” And then the secretary left.

Jungkook was, again, left to think. He knew that the fastest way to get to Seokjin was through his plan. However, he could not just pretend to date a man just like that. Kim Seokjin might not be someone as smart as Jungkook’s brother, but he could not be too careful.

Then, he should look for someone who at least experienced in same-sex relationships.

“Wait a sec.” Jungkook paused, realizing something. “If Min Yoongi and Park Jimin dated in the past… that must mean…” He stopped, smiling.

“Min Yoongi and Park Jimin are at least bisexual!” Jungkook said out loud, cheering on his own. “Oh my god! And that music guy is a genius! He won’t fuck this thing up!”

But then again, he remembered Yoongi’s reputation in the company. Yes, he was a genius, but the guy had a terrible temper. And he was known to spit fire when pissed off.

Jungkook shuddered at bit a thought.

But between Park Jimin and Min Yoongi, Jungkook would still settle for the latter. There was no way he was going to ask the former to do something very important, after remembering how careless the newbie could be.

He just had to prepare himself for Min Yoongi and his sharp tongue. And probably, he also had to prepare his bank account, in case the genius refused.

After all, everything had a price.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys!!! Here is another chapter! It's a bit longer than the previous two (yey) so yeah...  
> Also, I would like to apologize because I won't be able to update soon. It's because I have SOOOO MUCH on my plate nowadays because the semester in our school is already about to end. I have so many deadlines to meet. T_T
> 
> So... here! I hope you like it!

The young man narrowed his eyes at his own reflection, scrutinizing his appearance. It was the first time in a long time that he has cared this much for his looks.

Seeing a small band of hair out of place, Jungkook groaned, and put it back to its place. To say that he was nervous was an understatement—he was terrified, to be completely honest. Min Yoongi has been part of the company for a long time, even longer than Jungkook’s own time in the company. Even his own father, despite his old age, was all praise and respect for the fire-spitting music genius.

Jungkook have heard accounts of people calling Min Yoongi “cute”, but Yoongi was anything but “cute”. His angelic face was a lie.

“Come on, Jungkook.” He said to himself, sighing. “You’re still the boss. You also have some reputation in the company. There’s nothing to worry about.”

He then smirked at his own reflection, testing his appearance in that kind of expression. People have told him that his smirk was a killer. And Yoongi was at least bisexual. Maybe he could use his manly charms to make the older agree to him?

But how could Min Yoongi like someone like Park Jimin? That was one thing to worry about—maybe Jungkook was not the elder’s type. After all, he was ex-lovers with the newbie. He was nothing like Jungkook, but the CEO thought he was still way better than Park Jimin.

Finally contented with his looks, Jungkook left the condominium unit where he lived. He met people along the way down to the parking lot, and he heard lots of praises from them. Even more than usual. He used to shy away from the attention everyone tend to shower him with, but in his line of work, he knew there was no space for a timid attitude.

The story was the same once he arrived at the company building. People greeted him with much more energy, matching the unusualness of his get up.

“Good morning, sir.” A familiar voice greeted him once he arrived at the door of the special elevator.

“Good morning, Momo.” Jungkook replied. The two of them then entered the newly-renovated lift and waited for it to arrive at the top floor.

Inside, Momo proceeded with her usual routine of reminding Jungkook of all the appointment he had for the day.

“Find me a free schedule.” Jungkook said once the female was done with her words. “One that matching the music department head’s. Setup an appointment for a meeting with him.”

“Okay, sir.” Momo answered, typing down the note on her tablet. “Where should I set it, sir?”

“In his office, maybe.” The CEO answered. “Anywhere he’s comfortable with. Give him the decision.”

“Okay, sir.” The female replied. Soon after, the elevator door opened to their floor, and Jungkook briskly walked to his office, with his secretary trailing right behind.

Once they arrived at the office’s door, Jungkook turned to face Momo, and smiled. “How do I look today?” He asked, but not looking at the girl in the eyes.

“You look great, sir!” Momo answered. “You look extra handsome today.”

“R-Really?” Jungkook stuttered, mentally reprimanding himself for showing emotion. “Thank you.” He smiled, turning again to enter the office and leave the girl outside.

“Wait a second,” Momo suddenly said, causing Jungkook to face her again. She then reached out to him and grabbed his necktie.

“W-What are you—”

“Your tie’s crooked, sir.” Momo answered. She then carefully tugged at the ends of the fabric and pushed the collar a bit, and smiled before letting go. “There you go, sir. Perfect.”

“Uhm… t-thanks.” Jungkook stuttered again, already feeling the effect of having the pretty lady so close to him. “I-I’ll enter now.”

“Okay, sir. Have a nice day.”

And with that, Jungkook hurriedly entered his office. Once he was finally within the safety of his private room, he released a sigh and felt his cheeks with his hands.

There were a bit warm.

“Oh god…” Jungkook took a deep breath. “I’m like this when I’m with her, and yet I am currently looking for a boyfriend. I’m so gonna ask her out after everything.”

 

 

Jimin’s face contorted in discomfort as he felt a slight pain in his neck while stapling half a day’s worth of paper works. He was trying his best to not let his phone fall from its position between his ear and his shoulder as he waited for the ringing to stop.

“Hello?” Someone from the other side of the line finally answered after five rings.

“Hello, eomma?” Jimin asked. “How are you, eomma?”

“We’re fine here, Jiminie.” The old woman answered, her voice calming the stressed male a little bit. “Have you eaten lunch?”

“Yes, eomma.” Jimin answered. He felt his stomach grumble in protest, but the hardworking man just ignored it.

“He’s lying, eommoni!!!” Taehyung suddenly screamed, entering Jimin’s personal space and obnoxiously screaming at the phone currently located near Jimin’s ear. “I asked him to eat lunch with me, but he did not eat lunch at all!!! Jiminie’s ly—mnghngdfnfm!!!”

“W-Who was that?” His mother asked from the other end. Jimin replied with am embarrassed laugh immediately followed by a threatening glare to the squirming male whose mouth was covered by Jimin’s small hand.

Taehyung’s expression fell to that of a kicked puppy before he retreat to his own cubicle.

“It was a friend, eomma.” Jimin answered. “His name’s Taehyung.”

“Oh, I see.” The older woman answered. “And did he just say you were lying about eating lunch?”

“I was about to, anyway.” Jimin lied again. He really, really was not planning on eating lunch. Every coin counts for him, so if he could save up a little bit more by sacrificing one of his three meals, he would do it.

“Yah, Park Jimin.” She scolded through the phone. “How are you going to work if you get sick because of not eating lunch?”

“I said I was going to eat, eomma.” Jimin answered. “Just… finishing something.”

“But it’s already past two in the afternoon.”

“I know.” The younger sadly said. He was used to the hunger, anyway. It was not going to hurt him. “By the way, where’s appa?”

“Oh, oh, right here.” Jimin’s mother answered. “Do you want to talk to him?”

“Yes please.”

The line went silent for a few seconds while the phone was handed over to Jimin’s father. “Hello? Jimin?”

“Hi, appa.” Jimin greeted his father. “How are you?”

“Here, still getting older.” The man joked, putting a smile on Jimin’s face. “How’s our mocha?”

“Yah, appa, don’t call me that. I’m a manly man.” Jimin protested, still smiling. “Just gay, but still manly.”

“With those cheeks?  No way.” He retorted, causing Jimin to pout. “Yah… we wanna see those mochi cheeks when you get back, so eat well, okay?”

“Yes, appa, I will.” Jimin promised. He knew he was not going to eat lunch, either way, but just to give his worrying parent peace of mind, he still promised. “By the way… I sent some money last night. Remember to take your vitamins, okay? You and eomma.”

“Yes mochiiii…”

“Yah appa…”

After a few more exchanges of teasing, sweet words and good byes, Jimin finally put his phone down and stood up from his chair with his papers in his hands and went over to the office of the design department head. However, when he got there, the senior was not around.

He immediately went back to his cubicle, and asked his officemates of the head’s whereabouts.

“Tae, do you know where Kim Yongsun-ssi went?” Jimin asked. “She’s not in her office.”

“Nah… not really.” Taehyung answered, tilting his head to the side. “Hey, Mingyu, do you know where department head went?”

“Not really.” Said male answered. “I just saw her walking about, but I didn’t know where she was going.”

“She’s going to the music department.” Wonwoo butted in from the far side of Mingyu. “Was going to chat with music department head or something.”

“Do you think she’s dating Min Yoongi?” Mingyu suddenly asked, changing the topic. “I mean, they seem really close.”

“Hmmm… they could be.” Wonwoo agreed, causing Jimin to internally laugh at the two because he knew of Min Yoongi’s preference.

As the two continued to gossip about the two department heads’ relationship, Jimin went over to Taehyung and smacked his head. “Yah! Why did you tell my parents that I did not eat lunch?!”

“Lying is bad, Jiminie.” Taehyung innocently answered. “I was technically saving your soul. You should be thanking me.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“I’m not.”

“Ughh!!!” Jimin exclaimed, exasperated. “Now I think they’re worrying about me. It’s your fault.”

“No, it isn’t.” Taehyung retorted. “If you had actually eaten lunch, they wouldn’t be worrying about you. If you don’t want to spend money as of the moment, you could’ve just borrowed some from me.”

Jimin looked at Taehyung for a few moments, and sighed. He was right. Teahyung already made it clear in the past that he would willingly lend money to, or even treat, people, just so Taehyung could have someone to eat with.

Jimin was not used to borrowing money from people, often opting to starve himself and just save money if he needed some money. Maybe it was unavoidable—relying on others at times. It was just that he was not taught by his parents how to ask for financial help from others. They were poor, but they were proud.

“Y-Yeah…” Jimin nodded in understanding. “Sorry about that. I was just not used to… you know… relying on others.”

Taehyung sent him a quizzical look, aware of the sudden shift in the mood. His face then broke into a wide, rectangular grin. “It’s alright, Jiminie. Take your time. Now go to wherever you need to send those papers.”

 

 

It was not often that the young CEO visits the other departments, so when he did to meet Yoongi, the employees were surprised. Some even outright ran away from the scene, afraid that they would do something wrong in the very freak occasion.

Those who were brave and confident enough to stay bowed down to him in respect—a gesture Jungkook returned with simple nods.

Yoongi was aware of the arrival of the company’s head, and was prepared, so the moment Jungkook stepped in, he stood up from his seat, and gave the superior a bow of acknowledgement.

Now, on any other occasion, of if it was any other person, Jungkook would have simply acknowledged the gesture with another nod. However, he wanted to make Yoongi feel a little bit more special. Jungkook wanted to be part of Yoongi’s good books.

The office seemed as prepared as its occupant. There was only two chairs in the room, and they were setup as if they were going to have a public dialogue. It was a little too formal for Jungkook’s liking, especially since he came to the office for _that._

“Do you want to drink something?” Yoongi asked after asking Jungkook to take a seat. “Tea or coffee, perhaps?”

“No, thank you.” Jungkook politely declined the offer. “It won’t take long, anyway.”

Yoongi just nodded at Jungkook in understanding. Now that the formalities are done, Yoongi came straight to the matter at hand. “Why did you come all the way here, sir?”

Jungkook quickly cleared his throat, and recalled his rehearsed speech. “I need a favor from you, Min Yoongi.”

Said male could not help but raise his brow at the younger’s words. Really? The legendary Jeon Jungkook needed his help? And specifically _his_ help?

“But first, I will need to give you some… context. So you won’t misunderstand.”

“Okay.” Yoongi answered, nodding and relaxing a bit more into his chair. He understood the situation. He had the upper hand. “I’m listening.”

“So… here’s the thing.” Jungkook started. “Do you know Pink Princess? The design company?”

“Yes.”

“We are trying to establish a partnership with them.” Jungkook explained. “And we are so, so behind compared to our competition. So, I had to do something about it. I had to think of a shortcut to win over the company. And the fastest way to do that is to target the company’s head, Kim Seokjin. Turns out, Seokjin is a… gay relationship advocate or something like that.”

Yoongi stared questioningly at Jungkook, still not getting what the younger was trying to say. What part would he play in this scheme?

“So…”

“So… I thought I could get closer to him if I pretended to be one the same page as him. That is… if I had a boyfriend.”

“Okay… so…”

“I want you to be that boyfriend.” Jungkook finished, a bit embarrassed. “I-I know it’s outside your work! B-But—”

“No.” Yoongi answered, giving the younger his ‘what the fuck’ face.

“W-Wha…” Jungkook trailed off. He immediately jumped to his contingency plans to convince Yoongi. “I will double your salary for the duration of the act.”

“Still a no.”

“Triple?”

“No.”

“How about—”

“No matter how much you increase my salary, Jeon Jungkook-ssi,” Yoongi cut in, staring down at Jungkook’s soul. “My answer still stands. It’s a no. I won’t get involved in this ‘scam’.”

“But… but…” Jungkook said, already on the verge of a mental breakdown. “T-The company needs this! If we don’t strike a deal with Pink Princess, our position will be jeopardized!”

“Then find someone else who could do it.”

“But you’re the only gay person I know!” Jungkook blurted out. In the midst of the silence of the office, the younger realized what he just said and covered his mouth. Just like how a boy covers his mouth after saying the wrong things.

Jungkook’s words slightly tested Yoongi’s temper. He did not even know how Jungkook found out, but that was out of the question for now. He was barely able to stop himself from dissing the younger CEO. After calming himself down a bit, Yoongi turned his chair away from Jungkook, and said “No.”

Defeated, Jungkook sighed. He stood up from his seat, and muttered out a “thank you” before leaving the office. He knew he just fucked his chances of getting Yoongi to agree up.

He was so engrossed in his own thoughts that he did not notice the person coming from the other way. The bump made his look up from his glare on the floor, and he was met by a familiar face.

Park Jimin.

 _I don’t have time for this._ Jungkook thought. So instead of facing the now scared-looking guy, he just gave him a sneer before storming back to his office.

The other guy, on the other hand, was frozen. He thought he finally was going to lose his awesome job right there and then. Thankfully, Jeon Jungkook was not in the mood to fire someone.

Still a bit shaken, Jimin hurriedly entered the music department and headed straight to the office, where he was met by a contemplating Yoongi.

“Hi, hyung.” Jimin greeted the elder. “Is Kim Yongsun-ssi here?”

“Oh, she was here a while ago.” Yoongi answered, smiling at Jimin. “Did you not meet her on your way here? She probably went to the ladies room or something.”

“Oh… I see…” Jimin nodded in understanding. He felt sad and tired, because after his trouble of going to the music department and even yet again bumping into Jeon Jungkook, Kim Yongsun was not in Yoongi’s office anymore.

 _Speaking of Jeon Jungkook._ Jimin thought.

“Actually, uhm… hyung.” Jimin started, walking closer to Yoongi so he could speak in a lower volume. “I want to ask you about something.”

“What is it?” Yoongi asked, giving the younger his full attention. Jimin looked around him, as if there could be someone else in the office, before speaking.

“I have a… problem with Jeon Jungkook, the CEO.” Jimin started. “I kind of… offended him in the past? Like… yeah… you get the point.”

“Okay, yeah, yeah, I get the point.” Yoongi chuckled, completely understanding the non-verbal language Jimin used. “So, where’s the problem?”

“Am I in danger of losing my job?” Jimin asked, pouting. “I mean… I don’t want to, hyung. I like this job. I like my cubicle. I like the people around me. I just made a friend, in the form of Taehyung. I don’t want to lose all of this, hyung.”

“Awww… Jiminie…” Yoongi cooed, reaching o

ver to pinch the unwilling Jimin’s cheeks. “Don’t worry. Jeon Jungkook won’t fire you for personal reasons, I swear. As long as you are an asset to this company, you have nothing to worry about.”

Jimin stared at Yoongi for some time, before giving him a small smile. “Okay, hyung.” He said. He then stood straight and sighed. “Thanks hyung. You’re the best.” “I know.” Yoongi jokingly answered, even waving his hand as if he was shooing Jimin away, making the younger laugh a bit. “Now go. You still have papers to submit to Yongsun, right?”

“Yup!” Jimin answered enthusiastically. “See you soon, hyung!”

“Yeah, see yah.” Yoongi answered.

“I’ll even bring Tae over next time so you two could—”

“YAH!!!”

 

 

Jungkook was having a mental breakdown. Yoongi blatantly rejected his offer. Now, he was back to square one. He was quickly running out of both options and time. He knew he could not just find a random gay person outside the company—that would not be safe. It had to be someone from inside the company.

However, like what he said to Yoongi, he only knew two not-straight people in the company, one being his own brother. He could not just ask all of his employees regarding their sexual orientation.

“Oh my god…” Jungkook groaned, exhausted. “Where do I start now?”

_Wait._

He actually knew _someone_ else who was not straight.

With that thought in mind, Jungkook hurriedly called Momo.

“Momo, I want you to do something. Go to the design department and look for Park Jimin.”

 

 

Once Jimin reached his department, he headed straight to the department head office. He quickly handed the papers he worked on to the Yongsun, who gracefully received them and even thanked Jimin for his work.

Feeling accomplished, Jimin bowed down just in time for the door of the office to open, revealing a beautiful woman Jimin remembers as the only female that accompanied Jungkook the first time that they met, right before their interview. Realizing that she was also a senior, Jimin also gave the girl a bow, which the girl returned.

He was just about to leave the office when Yongsun called his name.

“Yes?” Jimin asked, turning around to face the two.

“Go with Hirai Momo-ssi.” Yongsun answered. Jimin only bowed in obedience and looked at the girl whose name was apparently Momo. Her name did not sound Korean for Jimin.

Just as his department head requested, the newbie in the company silently followed Momo out and into the elevator. Inside, Jimin found courage to ask Momo where they were headed.

“My boss requested your presence, Park Jimin-ssi.” Momo answered. “We’re headed to the CEO office.”

Thankfully, Momo was standing in front, because Jimin visibly stiffened at the revelation. Did the CEO finally snap? Jimin did not know. He was scared, to say the least. However, he held onto Yoongi’s words earlier. His hyung would not mislead him. Yoongi said that he would not get fired, so he was going to trust him.

Jimin did not really want to enter the office when Momo and he arrived. Even with Yoongi’s reassurance, Jimin was still worried for what could happen inside. He was clearly the underdog, once he and Jungkook faced off.

But he was not left with any choice when the door unlocked from the inside and Momo opened the door for him, motioning with her free hand for Jimin to enter. He silently thanked the girl for the assistance before he entered the office.

The door immediately closed behind him.

The inside was brightly lit, really. But it still felt all too dark for the scared male. It did not help that the other occupant of the room was standing tall and confidently right in front of the opened blinds, making him seem like a shadow.

A scary, and tangible shadow.

“We meet again, shortie.” Jungkook spoke first. Jimin was offended.

“E-Excuse me?”

“Yes, you are short.” Jungkook continued, removing the fear from Jimin and only making the older feel a little bit bolder. He had to defend himself.

But he also knew it was not the right time.

“Y-Yes, sir. I know.” Jimin answered, feeling his pride protesting. “Did you call me to say that, sir?”

“Aish… this…” Jungkook let out some of his frustration at the other. For some weird reason, he just felt riled up whenever he saw Jimin. “Anyway, no, I did not call you here just to call you short.”

“T-Then…”

“I asked you to come here to give you a special task.” Jungkook continued. He really did not want to end up asking Jimin, but he had no other choice. “I want you to pretend to be my boyfriend.”

“W-What?” Jimin stuttered out questioningly, taken aback by the younger’s words.

“I won’t explain everything to you, since you won’t understand.” Jungkook condescendingly said. “It’s just that we have to show someone that I am in a gay relationship. Once we convince him, and once the deal is over, we can stop the act. Do you understand?”

Jimin stayed silent. He was letting the younger’s words sink in. So basically, what the younger wanted him to do was to pretend to be his boyfriend to fool someone else into signing a deal?

That did not blend well with Jimin’s morals.

He was raised well by his parents, and he was never used to deceiving people. Even if he did not know the person that Jungkook was planning on duping, Jimin still did not want to do it. He did not have much money, but despite the difficulty of life for him and his family, he did not ever think of hurting someone for personal gains.

“I-I refuse, sir.” Jimin answered honestly. “I think it’s bad.”

“But it’s for the company!” Jungkook countered, his voice rising in both volume and pitch. “Okay, okay, I’ll double your salary!”

“Y-Yah… it’s not about that.” Jimin answered, hurt that his boss thought that he was merely waiting for a financial offer.

“Triple?”

“No!” Jimin answered firmly, his pride taking control. “How dare you think that it’s just about the money! I was not raised by my parents to hurt other people in exchange for material things!”

After his rant, Jimin left the office, slamming the door behind him. He was fuming in anger. On his way back to his department, all he did was mentally curse at the younger for having no conscience and even trying to drag Jimin along with him.

If being rich meant being like Jeon Jungkook, then Jimin would never want to become rich.

When he reached the department, Taehyung was already gone. Jimin was in the middle of fixing his things so he could leave and go home when his phone rang, indicating a call. When took a look at the name of the caller, a smile was put on his face.

“Hello? You called, eomma! Missed me too much?”

“Jiminie…” The woman answered, and the smile on Jimin’s face immediately disappeared. He would recognize that tone any time. It was the same tone when his mother talked to him after finding out he was gay. It was the same tone his mother used when she told him that Jimin could not continue his studies because they had no money.

“Y-Yah, eomma…” Jimin tried to act coolly. “W-What’s with the tone?”

“Your appa…” She continued. Jimin could already hear the tears in her voice. “He’s in the hospital… I-I don’t know what to do, Jiminie!”

“What?!” Jimin yelled into the phone. Fortunately there was not much people left. “W-Why?”

“T-The doctors said it was h-hypertension and stroke…” She narrated through sob-broken words. “Jiminie… w-we can’t afford the hospital bills…”

Jimin felt his insides twist and his throat constrict. He tried his damned best not to cry, but he could not stop the tears from falling. Of all the bad people in the world, why did they have to suffer?

“Jiminie…”

“Eomma…” Jimin sobbed into the phone. He knew he had to do something. “I will… I will find a way, eomma. Don’t worry.”

 

 

Jungkook absent-mindedly walked out of the elevator once it stopped on the basement parking lot. He was not functioning anymore, already out of ideas. He was not even sure if he could drive in his condition. Jungkook was aware of how dangerous driving while stressed is.

But he had no one else to do the driving for him, so he had no choice.

To his surprise though, Jimin was waiting for him a few steps outside the parking lot’s elevator. He was just about to walk past him when he heard the male inhale and exhale before speaking softly.

“I’ll do it.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys!!!  
> Sorry for the very late update. I was so busy because of university. And I won't be able to update any time soon again, since I will be staying in the province where there is no internet!!!
> 
> So... here's the chapter!

“What?”

Jungkook snapped his head to the direction of the smaller male, confused. He watched as Jimin took a deep breath, his chest expanding as he filled it with much-needed oxygen, before repeating the words he just said.

“I’ll do it.” Jimin said, his eyes settling on anything that was not the younger. “The… boyfriend thingy.”

He was originally planning on getting the whole ordeal done without looking at Jungkook’s eyes, but he was not able to control his temper when he heard a scoff from him.

Jimin looked up, only to see his boss smiling smugly at him, his hands in his pockets. “W-What?” He questioned.

“Nothing.” Jungkook answered, his expression not even changing a bit. “I was just wondering. What made you change your mind?”

“None of your business.” Jimin bravely countered, putting up a tough front. “Are you in or what?”

“I wouldn’t have asked you if I had any other option, would I?” Jungkook answered. “Just a while ago you were babbling about being raised well and what-not. And here you are—”

“Yah!” Jimin interjected, cutting the younger’s words. He did not like where Jungkook was going with his speech. “S-Stop right there!”

“Why would I?”

“Because…” Jimin trailed off, thinking. “I have… three… conditions.” He said holding out three of his short fingers. “Three conditions. Do all or no boyfriend.”

Jungkook answered with a sneer complete with eye roll. “So demanding.” He said, still staring down at Jimin. “Okay, tell me.”

“Firstly,” Jimin started, gathering courage. He was still unsure of what he was about to do, but a quick imagery of his parents suffering back in Busan was enough for him to set his pride aside. “I’m gonna be a good employee and only ask for you to double my salary and not triple.”

“Wow… the audacity…” Jungkook mumbled, not wanting to agitate Jimin even more. He did not want to cross lines to the point that the newbie would back out.

“Is it a deal or not?”

“Okay, deal.” Jungkook answered loud enough for Jimin to hear. “Condition two?”

“I need money. Now.” Jimin answered, silently mourning for himself. The situation in which his family is in put his back against the ropes. He had no other choice at the moment. Bracing himself, Jimin continued. “A month’s worth. Now.”

“Hey! That’s—”

“Take it or leave it!” Jimin butted in even before Jungkook coulg finish his objection. There was a moment of silence between the two of them before Jungkook let out a frustrated sigh and reached for the checkbook inside his coat.

“Okay, deal.” The younger answered opening the booklet and taking out a pen to sign it. He continued complaining as he focused on writing. “I couldn’t believe you’re like this.” Jungkook said. “You look like a five-year old yet you’re even greedier than businessmen.”

He just continued signing the slip, oblivious to the effect of his words on the older, because Jimin knew it was not true. He knew that none of the things Jungkook was saying was true. And yet, he could not say anything, because just judging from their current situation, he really looked like a money-greedy person.

He wanted to shout for Jungkook to take his words back, but along with his pride, and the lump in his throat, Jimin just chose to swallow his words.

“Mmm, here.” Jungkook said once he was finished, shoving the check towards the shorter. Jimin snatched the slip and quickly put it in his wallet before looking up again. “Condition three?”

“We can’t fall in love.” Jimin answered. “No matter how good our acting skills are, what is about to happen will be our secret, and it will never be true. Do you understand?”

Jungkook raised his brow at Jimin before he burst out laughing, confusing the older. After a few seconds, younger stood up straight again and looked at the other dead in the eyes. “I will never. I am straight, Park Jimin-ssi. I won’t fall for you, not even in your wildest dreams. If anything…” Jungkook trailed off, turning his back to Jimin and fixing himself a bit. “I should be the one saying that to you.”

“Good, then. At least we set things straight right from the start.” The shorter answered. “That will be all.”

“Okay then, I’m leaving.” Jungkook said, starting to walk to his car. “Come to my office tomorrow for briefing.” He said, before walking and leaving Jimin behind.

Jimin stayed rooted at the spot where Jungkook left him, waiting for the younger’s car to drive past him. When it did, he took out the check handed to him and sighed. The banks were already closed by that time, so he had to wait until the next day to send the money to his parents in the province.

On his way out of the building and into the streets, Jimin thought about his decision, and sighed. He knew it was wrong, but he could not just do nothing when his parents were struggling. They were all he really had.

And so Jimin did not cry. He really did not. He really, really wanted to, but he knew he did not deserve to. He was no victim to cry.

 

 

The next day, the moment Jimin entered his cubicle, the first thing that he heard was a chuckle from Mingyu.

“You look like shit.”

“I am shit.” Jimin replied plainly before throwing his bag on the floor and plopping his surprisingly-tired body on the chair. The noise that he made attracted the attention of his other officemate, whose head popped up from the top of the divider.

“Oh my god, Jiminie.” Taehyung commented, disappearing afterwards and going around the wall to go to Jimin’s cubicle. “Are you alright? You look like you did not sleep all night!”

“Yeah… exactly.” The shorter answered. “I couldn’t sleep because of…” He trailed off, not daring to continue what he was trying to say. He had an agreement with Jungkook. He could not tell a single soul about the plan.

“Because of what?” Taehyung asked, confused. Jimin only answered him with a tired smile and a shake of his head.

“Nothing, Tae. Nothing serious.”

Jimin was half expecting Taehyung to insist and try to know more about his situation, but he did not, and he was thankful. He did not really want to feel bad just because he could not tell his friend about his dilemma. Instead of asking more, Taehyung only gave Jimin a pat on his head before leaving.

Once the taller was gone, Jimin let out a sigh and opened his computer to check his e-mail for any assignment. To his surprise, there was not any. With his brows almost meeting halfway, Jimin reloaded the browser tab to double check, but even after two refreshes, the result was the same.

“Am I too early?” He mumbled to himself, letting out a yawn afterwards.

“Here.” He heard Taehyung say before a cup of coffee was put down on his table. “No assignment yet?”

“Yeah…”

“That’s good, maybe you can catch a few minutes of sleep.” The younger said. “Drink that coffee and immediately sleep before it kicks in. I will leave you to start with my day, because there are more assignments in my inbox than usual.”

Once Jimin heard Taehyung’s words, an idea on what was happening immediately popped in his head. He downed half of the coffee Taehyung delivered to him before Youngsun arrived to confirm his suspicions.

“Park Jimin-ssi.” She said, gaining the attention of other nearby people, including Taehyung, Mingyu and Wonwoo, all of them sliding backwards to look at Jimin. “The CEO wants you in his office.”

“Okay.” Jimin answered, standing to collect himself and finish the rest of the cup his friend made for him. He cast a look at the said male, who wore a worried look. Jimin knew Taehyung knew about his unfortunate first meeting with Jungkook, so maybe, the younger was worried for Jimin because of that.

To reassure his friend, Jimin gave him a smile and mouthed an “It’s fine” before leaving to go to Jungkook’s office.

He arrived to see Jungkook just typing away on his computer, wearing a serious look on his face. Jimin thought that he at that moment, if only he did not know Jungkook was a huge pain in the ass and had personality and ego issues, he could say that the younger looked like… a man.

But then again, the Jungkook he knew was spiteful.

Jimin quickly cleared his throat and said, “Good morning, sir.”

“Good morning.” Jungkook answered, his eyes not leaving the screen in front of him. “Get the envelope on my desk and read.”

“Okay.” Jimin nodded, and cautiously walked over the where the envelope was. He was expecting Jungkook to finally face him when he was already close enough, the younger did not.

“Written there is everything you need to know about this plan.” Jungkook said.

“Wait, wait, let me clarify this again.” Jimin butted in. “We will pretend to be a thing to fool Kim Seokjin?”

“Yes.” The younger nodded, still typing. “I thought we already made this clear last night.”

“Yeah, just checking.” Jimin answred. He then proceeded to reading the papers inside the envelope given to him.

 

> _Jungkook and Jimin first met in a café on a busy Friday afternoon two years ago, even before the former was famous in the corporate world. There were too many customers that time, and there was not any free table for the latecomer Jungkook to use. Jimin was seating alone at that time, and Jungkook, being the friendly person that he was, he asked Jimin if he could join him._

“Friendly my ass.” Jimin scoffed, looking incredulously at the younger afterwards. Seeing that the younger was not interested at looking at him any time soon, Jimin just continued reading.

 

> _They chatted over plates of cake and glasses of chocolate drink. Jungkook only found out later on that Jimin was an employee in the company, and things happened later on—things that made them closer._

“This is cliché as hell.” Jimin commented.

“Do you have any question?” Jungkook asked, to which Jimin answered with a shake of his head before remembering that Jungkook was not looking at him.

“None.”

“Then just shut up and keep reading.”

“Aish—” The older really wanted to berate Jungkook for his lack of respect, because while he might be the boss, Jimin was still older than him. But he decided against it in the end.

 

> _Their first date was in an amusement park, by the older’s wish. They stayed there the whole day, not even wanting to leave the place when it was about to close. Jungkook only managed to manhandle a whining Jimin out of the amusement park._

“What the hell is this?!” Jimin asked, raising his voice. “Why is it my choice to go the amusement park, and why did you ‘manhandle’ me out?!”

“Because it’s out of my character to go the amusement park, and it’s so me to drag you out of the place.” Jungkook answered, still focused on his work, but the older could see tell-tale signs of a smirk on the boss’s face.

Jimin raised his brow at the younger’s words. “How are you even sure that I like amusement parks?”

“Because you look like and act like a child.” Jungkook easily countered. He looked up to see the scandalized face Jimin was sporting.

“H-How dare you?!” Jimin asked. “It isn’t me who has teeth like those of bunnies’!”

“W-What?!” Jungkook asked, straightening his back on his seat and puffing his chest out—a habit he developed when he was trying to intimidate people. To Jimin, he only looked like a child trying to scare a cockroach. Or a bunny at the most.

“Y-You…” Jungkook stammered, trying to come up with a verbal comeback. “You midget!”

“Yah! I’m still older!”

“And I am still _your_ boss!”

Jimin slightly backed off at that. He got too carried away with insulting the younger that he forgot just how insignificant he was to the company, compared to Jungkook. That with just a snap of the younger’s fingers, he could render Jimin jobless.

“O-Okay. I’m sorry.”

“Know you place, Park.” Jungkook coldly answered. “Keep reading and stop complaining.”

With that, Jimin removed his gaze on Jungkook and continued reading. The next part was about facts on Jungkook’s life. Along with those are details like his birthday and birthplace. He also got to read about the younger’s family—that he only has one brother, that his mother was dead, and that his father was already enjoying life, since he already took over the company.

Next up was his educational background. And even though he already expected how decorated Jungkook’s background was, he was still amazed by the number of achievements that the younger had.

It made Jimin feel worthless, compared to his about-to-be boyfriend.

But at the same time, he felt pity towards the younger. He just felt like Jungkook grew up too fast.

He spared the younger another glance to see his forehead scrunching in concentration, his teeth grazing on his lower lip. Despite Jungkook’s confidence, coldness and features, his eyes are still youthful.

Jungkook must have noticed the silence, so he spoke.

“Are you done reading?”

“Y-Yes, sir.” Jimin answered. The younger then looked up and put down the paper he was reviewing in favor of looking at Jimin straight in the eyes.

“Let me clarify this, Park.” Jungkook said, slightly scaring the mentioned male. “We’re only close when around Kim Seokjin, okay? In the office, I’m still your boss, and you’re still a newbie employee, got it?”

“Yes, sir.” Jimin nodded.

“Do you have any question?”

“Don’t you…” Jimin asked, looking up to properly phrase what he was about to say. “Like… need to know more about me, too?”

“Oh, yeah, about that.” Jungkook answered. “Your only assignment for today is your version of that document.” He said, pointing at the paper in the older’s hands. “Due two PM today. Got it?”

“Yes, sir.”

“And let me repeat this. I cannot emphasize this enough.” Jungkook continued. “No one—not your friends, not even your family—may know about this, okay?” The answer he received from Jimin was in the form of a nod. He then instructed him to leave the office and get started with his work.

When Jimin got back to his cubicle, someone else was seating on his chair, chatting rather animatedly with Taehyung.

“Oh, hyung?” Jimin asked, prompting the pale male to face him.

“Jimin, you’re here.” Yoongi said, smiling. “I stopped by to ask how you’re doing, but you weren’t here.”

“Oh, yeah.

“Where were from, anyway?”

“The CEO requested him a while ago.” Taehyung interrupted, answering the question that was for Jimin. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, Tae, I’m fine.” Jimin answered, smiling. He saw a while ago that Yoongi and Taehyung were having a good time chatting with each other, and he really did not want to interrupt the two. As far as Jimin knew, Yoongi did not find anyone else after the two of them broke up a long time ago, and he thought Yoongi deserved to be with someone.

“You guys look like you’re having a good time.” Jimin mused, making Taehyung nod like a child, and Yoongi blush a little bit. It was easy to see, since he was pale. If only Taehyung would look at him at that moment.

Chuckling a little bit, Jimin grabbed his bag containing his laptop and started to leave to do his work somewhere else. Yoongi noticed this.

“W-Where are you going?” Yoongi asked, still a bit affected by Jimin’s teasing.

“Yeah, where are you going?” Taehyung asked as well.

“It’s a secret.” Jimin winked at the two. “I’m doing some collab work, so I’m needed somewhere right now.”

“Oh… I see.” Yoongi nodded in understanding. “G-Good luck, then.”

“Yeah, yeah.” The younger answered, already starting to leave. “Good luck to you, too, hyung.”

And with that, Jimin left Yoongi a bit flustered. He internally berated himself for being too easy to embarrass when it came to things involving crushes.

“Oh, hyung,” Taehyung said, pulling Yoongi out of his internal conflict. “You’re red, are you alright?”

“Y-Yeah!” Yoongi stuttered out, feeling his cheeks with his arms. They were a bit warm.

“Ah… I thought Jiminie’s really going to die when the CEO called for him.” Taehyung said, pouting a bit. “After all, what happened between him and sir Jeon when they first met isn’t really easy to forget.”

“Yeah…”

“You know about it, too, right?” The taller asked, to which Yoongi nodded. “Ahhh… poor Jiminie. His luck must be very low.”

“I know.”

“Wait, wait. What happened?” A deep voice suddenly butted into the conversation, followed by the sound of rolling chairs.

“Yeah, yeah, what happened?” Mingyu asked, seconding Wonwoo’s question. “What’s up with CEO and Park?”

“Yah! Are you eavesdropping all this time?!” Taehyung asked, glaring at the two idiots. “That’s bad!”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever…” Mingyu countered, scooting even closer to ask again. “So, what happened?”

“You really want to know?” Yoongi asked, finally turning on his seat to look at the two. He was wearing his typical bored expression. “Kim Mingyu-ssi, Jeon Wonwoo-ssi?”

“Oh… uhmm… hi.” Mingyu said, slowly backing away. He smiled awkwardly at the department head before sliding his chair back to his own cubicle and disappearing.

“Woah… what just happened?” Taehyung asked, surprised at how Yoongi managed to send the two away. “How did you do that, hyung?”

Hearing Taehyung talk, Yoongi turned again to face him, and smiled his gummy smile. “I don’t know. I was just asking.”

As an answer, Taehyung gave the older his own smile—the boxy one, unconsciously sending Yoongi’s heart to overdrive.

However, it was really what Taehyung said afterwards that made Yoongi flustered.

“Your smile is cute.”

“W-What? N-No, I’m not cute, I’m cool!”

“Nah, too cute!"

 

 

Jungkook just finished reviewing a proposal for a small project to be headed by the design department. He let out an exhausted sigh, and stretched his limbs. It was not even lunch time, and yet here he was, already tired. Realizing that he could use a short break, the young CEO opened his social media accounts, only to see a friend request from none other than Kim Seokjin himself.

Of course, he immediately accepted the request. Once he did, his doorbell sounded, indicating that someone was waiting right outside his door.

Perplexed, Jungkook turned the transmitter on and spoke. “Who is it?”

“Park Jimin, sir.”

Jungkook then opened the door. The instant the shorter male stepped inside the office, he headed straight to the couch and took out his things from the bag he was carrying.

The CEO only watched in confusion.

“I figured that we should spend some more time with each other, if we want to make this arrangement seem real.” Jimin said confidently as he proceeded to taking his laptop out and working. “I will do my assignment here.”

“And who are you to decide on such a thing?” Jungkook queried. “Listen here, Park. We aren’t even in good terms yet—”

“As if I like being around you.” Jimin butted in. “But both of us should know that I am right.”

“Whatever.” Jungkook gave up, not really in the mood to fight with Jimin. “Just… don’t disturb me or anything.”

“Not planning on doing so, sir.” Jimin said, continuing typing on his laptop. The younger silently cursed before closing his social media accounts and proceeding to reviewing another proposal.

The silence in the room was only interrupted two hours later by a hungry Jimin.

“Sir, aren’t you going to eat lunch?” Jimin asked, putting away his laptop and stretching. He was almost done with his assignment—he did not understand what was taking him so long to make it when really, there was not much to put.

“No.” Jungkook answered without looking at him. The older just raised a brow at him before sighing, and then looking for a telephone inside the office.

“I am ordering lunch for the two of us.” Jimin said, spotting the device and walking to it. “Skipping lunch isn’t healthy. And if we get sick, we would miss lots of work.”

It was ironic that Jimin was the one reminding Jungkook to eat when just recently, he was berated by his parents for the same thing.

And so Jimin dialed the number of a fast food chain. He quickly let the personnel know what he was getting before putting the phone away to ask Jungkook for his order.

“Whatever.” Was Jungkook’s only reply. Jimin only scoffed at him before ordering something that he thought the younger would like, judging from what he read about him a couple of hours ago.

After ordering, Jimin went back to working on his CV-esque document. Silence once again fell inside the room, and it continued for thirty minutes before it was interrupted by the arrival of the delivery man.

Jimin welcomed him inside and proceeded to assisting the man with taking the orders out and putting them on the coffee table in the middle of room. When everything was set, Jimin got ready to pay when he heard Jungkook’s voice.

“Yah, Park.” Jungkook called him, handing over a card. “Pay with this.”

“This one’s on me, sir.” Jimin smiled, before handing his bills to the delivery man and thanking him for the job well done. The outsider was not even out of the office when Jungkook spoke again.

“Did you ask for a salary raise just so you could treat people to lunch?” Jungkook questioned smugly. “If you already had enough money, why—”

“Do you hate me that much that you just can’t thank me for this?” Jimin countered, taking Jungkook off guard. “Just be decent for once and take it. This will the last time, I promise. And sir,” Jimin continued, turning his attention to the delivery man, who was just standing there awkwardly. “Sorry about that. Thank you again.”

“It’s no problem, sir.” He answered, bowing before hurriedly leaving the scene.

When the man was gone, Jimin took the younger’s lunch and put it on his office table before going back to his little spot on the couch and preparing to eat.

It took some time, but Jungkook eventually gave in to hunger and ate the food Jimin ordered for him. He proceeded to his usual eating habits, oblivious to Jimin watching him, observing him.

It was one of Jimin’s routines. Watching people. Observing humans. Whenever he observed people, Jimin felt like he was getting to know them.

He noted how Jungkook picked the carrots from the noodles that he was eating. He set them aside on top of the cover of the bowl whenever he saw pieces of the orange vegetable. Jimin internally laughed at how ironic it was that the younger did not like carrots when he was basically a human bunny. An evil one, at that.

Maybe evil bunnies do not like carrots.

“I can feel you staring, creep.” Jungkook suddenly said before stuffing his face with the now-devoid of carrots noodles. “I thought we made it clear that no one can fall for the other.”

“In your dreams, brat.” Jimin sassed back. “I was just watching how funny you look when eating.”

Jungkook began protesting around a bunch of noodles, muttering insults at the elder who only smiled at the incomprehensible sounds the younger was making.

Jungkook eventually ate the carrots he set aside. Jimin figured that the younger did not despise carrots—in fact, he loved them so much he wanted to eat them on their own. That was why he was setting them aside.

Maybe evil bunnies are just like other bunnies, after all.

After eating lunch, Jimin proceeded to finishing his assignment. He finished not even half an hour later—he then handed the printed document to his boss, who only let him put it on top of his desk. Right when Jimin let go of the paper, Jungkook’s phone rang.

Both Jungkook and Jimin could see who was calling, since the phone was sitting on the desk.

It was Kim Seokjin.

Quickly, Jungkook picked the phone and answered the call.

“Hello?”

“Jungkook!” Seokjin said, causing Jungkook to smile a bit at the friendly tone. “How are you?”

“I’m fine, hyung.” Jungkook answered. “Why’d you call?”

“I was just wondering if we could have lunch together.” The older answered. “I’m around the area of your building, and am about to have lunch.”

“Oh, of course, hyung.” Jungkook immediately agreed, after gauging how much food he actually ate. He would not mind eating more.

“That’s great!” Seokjin said. “Let’s meet in the Italian café two blocks from your building. Do you know that place?”

“Yes, yes, I know it.” The younger CEO answered. “I’ll go there at once. I’m a bit hungry anyway.”

Jimin raised his brow at the younger’s words. Just a while ago, Jungkook did not want to eat. And then he ate the take out Jimin bought for him. And now, he was about to leave to eat lunch, saying that he was a bit hungry?

He did not dare question the younger, though. He knew Jungkook would not talk properly to him. That thought scared Jimin a bit, because with their current “closeness”, it would be very hard to pretend to be the younger’s boyfriend.

“I will meet Kim Seokjin.” Jungkook said to Jimin. “I won’t introduce you to him just yet, since I don’t think you’re ready for this yet. Keep reading the documents I gave you, and study them well, okay? Don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any question. Leave now and go home, I’m closing this office.”

“O-Okay.” Jimin said, nodding before going to grab his stuff. The last thing he saw before leaving the place was Jungkook going to the comfort room in his office.

Having nothing else to do for the day, Jimin decided to go back to his cubicle just to check if Yoongi was still there. He was not, though, and Taehyung was completely immersed in his work that he did not even notice Jimin’s arrival.

Remembering that his friend told him that he received more assignment than usual, Jimin opted not to disturb Taehyung with his work. He silently entered his cubicle and turned the computer off before leaving.

Once he was outside, his phone started blaring in his pocket, indicating that someone was calling him. He calmly reached for the device and answered the phone before putting it next to his ear and walking back to his place.

“Hello?”

“Oh, hi, Jimin!” The woman on the other end happily said. “How are you?”

“I’m fine, mom, don’t worry.” He answered, smiling softly at the mood of his mother. “How are you guys?”

“I’m fine, and your father’s recovering, thanks to you.” She replied. “I won’t ask how you got that much money because I trust you, so I will just thank you.”

“It was nothing, mom, of course I will do that.” Jimin answered. His conscience slightly protested, because he knew that if his parents only knew what he did to obtain that much money in one night, they surely would not approve of it.

“So, anyway, the doctor said that we only need to buy maintenance medicine for your father, so we could prevent this from happening again.” His mom talked through the phone again. “There’s still some money left from what you sent, so don’t worry too much.”

“Okay, mom.” Jimin answered. “Our pay’s about to be released anyway, so I would be able to send some money home in a few days.”

“Thank you, Jiminie. Remember to treat yourself every now and then, okay? You deserve it.”

After that, Jimin bid his mother good bye and ended the call. He let out a burdened sigh, the weight of his decision still haunting him. But then again, he brought it upon himself.

Remembering his mother’s words, Jimin decided to treat himself a bit, and stopped in a café he passed along his way home to buy cold coffee with whipped cream.

There was a lot of people in the café when he entered it. Wondering why, Jimin took out his phone again to check the time.

_12:56 PM._

It was a weird time for a café to have this much costumers, Jimin thought. Immersed in his thoughts, Jimin did not notice the person in front of him and bumped into a sturdy back.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” Jimin apologized, ashamed of how careless he could be. It was noon time—no one should be as absentminded as him during such time.

“It’s okay! It’s okay, you’re fine!” A high-pitched voice answered him, even trying to stop him from bowing again to apologize. “Nothing bad happened, just be careful next time, okay?”

“Yes, yes, I’m so sorry.” Jimin apologized again, bowing one more time before looking up. He was a bit taken aback by the wide shoulders contrasting with the pretty face sitting on top of them.

“It’s fine, don’t worry.” The tall man smiled, a smile Jimin could only describe as motherly. The said man then excused himself to the comfort room, leaving Jimin to his own thoughts again.

Jimin vowed that he was really running out of luck the past few weeks. To comfort himself, he just ordered a sweet chocolate drink instead of the bitter sweet coffee he was planning on buying. The order did not take that long, and once it was done, the man stalked out of the place.

On his way out, though, he saw Jungkook seating on one of the seats at the far corner of the café.

“I thought he was meeting with Kim Seokjin?” Jimin wondered. “Maybe Mr. Kim is late?”

Shaking the thought aside, Jimin continued on his way back to his place. By the time he reached it, the chocolate drink was already gone. As was his energy. His sleeplessness the night before started taking effect again, and this time, Jimin welcomed slumber.

He was woken up hours later by the ringing of his phone. Still sleepy and tired, Jimin looked out the window to see that the sun was already about to set before answering the phone.

“Hello?”

“Park Jimin.” The familiar voice said through the phone. “Start preparing yourself. We will meet Kim Seokjin tomorrow. And this time, as a couple.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys!!! Here's another chapter of the story! I hope you guys like it. :)

It was a Thursday morning when Jimin walked into the building of Wings with a smile on his face and with shoulders held back in confidence. He really, really bothered to look good on _the_ day.

The day when he will finally meet Kim Seokjin, his and Jungkook’s ‘victim’ in their not-so-crime.

Just thinking about it made a shiver run down the man’s spine, but he suppressed the urge to physically shudder. Of course he was nervous. What he was about to do went against everything that he had believed in his 26 years of living.

And of course, he knew that he only way to counter being nervous was being ready. That was why he prepared so much the night before and in the morning. He had set himself in all aspects—physically, mentally, emotionally, and most importantly, morally. Because starting today, until the end of his agreement with his boss, he would have to set aside his morals. All for his family depending on him.

Jimin continued traversing the halls of the building until he arrived at the fifth floor, where his department was. People he knew and have met during his short stay in the company gave him compliments for his looks—compliments that Jimin let himself bathe in and enjoy. The short male did not pay that much attention on his appearance unless needed, because while he never thought of himself good-looking, he also did not think he had to put effort just to look presentable. For him, looking ordinary is already looking nice.

Once he arrived in his cubicle, the first person to greet him was Mingyu.

“Hey Park Ji—woah…” The tall, tanned male cut his own words in favor of taking in Jimin’s appearance. He slid his chair a little bit further and scanned his seatmate before letting out a big smile. “Looking great today!”

“Thanks.” Jimin smiled in return, appreciating the rare compliment from his officemate. Up until now, Mingyu only talked to him to annoy him.

“Trying to impress someone?” Mingyu teased, wiggling his brows.

“Nope.”

“Aww come on… you can’t just come here looking like that if it’s a normal day.”

“Yah, Kim Mingyu, stop it.” Jimin said, trying to shoo away the taller. “Just go back to your work.”

“So you won’t tell me?” Mingyu said with a deflated tone, but his face was saying otherwise. He then scooted closer to Jimin before saying, “If you’re hitting on me, I’d probably date you.”

A scandalized look almost immediately plastered itself on Mingyu’s subject of flirting. Jimin was just about to give the younger some serious scolding when suddenly, a deep voice resonated from the farther side of Mingyu’s cubicle.

“Yah, Kim Mingyu!” The voice said, causing the smile on Mingyu’s face to fall. “Don’t you have lots of assignments today? Work!”

“Yes boss.” Mingyu rolled his eyes before sliding back to his cubicle, leaving a surprised Jimin behind.

“What the hell just happened?” Taehyung suddenly asked, taking his spot right beside Jimin by sliding his own office chair. He then looked at his friend and mimicked the confused face Jimin was sporting.

“I don’t know either.”

“I have never seen Jeon Wonwoo that serious.” Taehyung commented. “Actually, I really did not see him, but you get the point, right? I mean—”

“Yeah, yeah, Tae, I get the point.” Jimin nodded, shushing Taehyung and keeping him from continuing his rambling. “It’s so not like Wonwoo.”

“I know right.” The taller of the two agreed. There was a moment of silence and bewilderment before Taehyung tilted his head to get a better look at Jimin. “I would have to agree to Mingyu, though. You look great today. You even wore eyeliner!”

“Thanks.” Jimin smiled. “Have I always looked ugly in the past that all of you guys just seemed to notice my appearance now that I am wearing all this makeup?”

“That’s nonsense!” Taehyung exclaimed. “You’ve always looked great! And besides, you aren’t even wearing that much makeup today!”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Jimin felt himself flush a bit that the truthfulness he could hear from Taehyung. For such compliment to come from someone as good-looking at Taehyung—it felt amazing.

“Aww… thanks Tae. I appreciate that.” Jimin said. Taehyung just smiled his boxy smile before disappearing back into his cubicle, the whole while looking at Jimin. The shorter could not help but chuckle at his friend’s antics before focusing on his own computer to start working.

He had only managed to log into his computer when a small voice called his name, prompting him to look up.

“Oh… Momo-ssi.” Jimin said when he saw the said female’s head peeping right above the divider in front of him. “Good morning.”

“Good morning, Park Jimin-ssi.” Momo responded, her voice still squeaky. If Jimin would be completely honest, Momo’s voice was kind of cute, and even suited the female.

“Do you… need anything?” Jimin asked, but he already had an idea on what was Momo doing in their department.

“The CEO wants you in his office.” The woman answered. “Like… now.”

“Yes, I understand.” The boy nodded. “Thank you.”

And with that, Momo left the place in favor of going to the department head’s office. Jimin wasted no time and quickly stood up and fixed himself to go to the topmost floor of the building, where Jungkook’s office was situated.

“Jiminie…” Taehyung’s voice stopped Jimin in his tracks, and causing him to come to the taller’s spot. “Did Mr. Jeon ask for you again?”

“Yeah.” Jimin nodded. He saw worry flash in the slightly younger boy’s face, making him feel a little guilty. If only he could tell Taehyung what was happening, then the taller would not have to worry for him every time he was being called by the boss.

Sighing, he smiled at Taehyung. “Tae, don’t worry, I’ll be fine. We’re just talking about certain plans. I was quite surprised that he wanted to work with me, actually.” Jimin lied to his friend. He felt his insides twist at the thought, but he knew he should get used to lying.

After reassuring Taehyung, Jimin proceeded to going to the CEO’s office. It was a trek Jimin was getting quite used to, and since he already knew what was about to happen, he did not feel anxious to meet Jungkook at all. He was still nervous about the whole ordeal, of course, but Jimin decided not to mind it for now.

When he arrived inside Jungkook’s office, Jimin was surprised to see Jungkook just sitting on one of the couches around the coffee table in contrast to his usual spot behind the table.

“Took you long enough.” Jungkook commented, taking a sip of his coffee. He then looked up to see Jimin, but the moment their eyes met, the younger’s expression morphed into that of amusement.

“What’s with the eyeliner?” Jungkook asked. The older replied to him with a short chuckle.

“Of course I should at least look good enough for you, your majesty.” Jimin cheekily responded, following right after with a laugh. “I should look like you’d actually want me as your boyfriend.”

“Yuck…” Jungkook answered, faking gagging sounds right after, pulling out more laughter from the older. He waited for Jimin to calm down before he started grabbing his stuff that are already on the coffee table. “Are you ready?”

“What?” Jimin asked, confused. He took in the situation right before him to figure out what Jungkook was talking about. He took note of the closed blinds in the office, as well as the position Jungkook was in. As if he was leaving.

And the younger was looking at him as if he was expecting him to leave with him.

_Oh._

“We’re… leaving?” Jimin asked again, trying to confirm what he was thinking.

“Yes.” Jungkook replied, nodding. “I already told you last night, right? We’re meeting Kim Seokjin today.”

“But it’s not even nine in the morning!” Jimin shrieked, suddenly mortified at the thought of meeting their ‘victim’. He was visibly freaking out—and it irked him to see that Jungkook did not seem affected by the coming event. Not at all.

“The meeting place is quite far, so we will need to leave ahead of time so we won’t be late.” Jungkook calmly explained, already walking out of the office. “We should go—”

“Wait here for a moment!” Jimin suddenly cut him, running out of the office right after, not even waiting for the CEO to respond. He boarded the elevator and rushed directly back to his cubicle to grab his personal belongings. The whole while, he was mustering up courage and telling himself to stop freaking out over the meeting. He was prepared for it, and if he would just stick to their plan, there should not be any problem.

When he arrived at his cubicle, Jimin was pleasantly surprised to see Yoongi already there.

“Hyung, you’re here again?” Jimin noted, going straight to his bag and packing up, dodging Yoongi, who was seated on his office chair and chatting with Taehyung, along the process. “Why are you always here whenever I am not around?”

It took a lot longer than expected for Yoongi to answer, but even before he could open his mouth, Taehyung already started explaining. “I chatted him that you were called by the CEO. Again.”

“Oh, you’re that close already? You’re already chatting on social media?” Jimin asked, a teasing smile that Taehyung did not mind, but Yoongi wanted to forget seeing, gracing his face. He looked at Taehyung, who was just smiling at him and nodding like the child that he was.

Yoongi, on the other hand, was struggling to hide the faint blush on his pale cheeks.

“You’re cute.” Jimin mumbled under his breath, taking care so that Taehyung could not hear him. He actually was planning on playing with Yoongi a little bit longer, but Jimin remembered that he left Jungkook waiting in his office.

Not wanting to get on the man’s bad side, Jimin quickly bid his friends a good bye and simply ignored their questions and protests in favor of rushing back to the top floor.

“Where have you been?” Jungkook immediately asked when the older was finally back. Jimin was panting a bit when he stepped inside the office, but Jungkook just ignored it and started leading the way out of the place.

It took a few seconds before Jimin was finally able to answer the question directed to him. “I just went back to get my stuff from my cubicle.” He answered, following the taller into the dedicated elevator. He watched as Jungkook pressed the button to the underground parking lot.

For the first few seconds of their descent, the elevator was silent. Jimin did not feel the need to break it, though, because he knew the ride would only be short. However, it was Jungkook who struck a conversation first.

“Did you prepare for this?” He asked, still looking right in front of him.

“Well… yeah.” Jimin answered. “You noticed I tried actually dressing up today.”

“I don’t mean that, Park.” Jungkook said. “I was asking if you are ready in terms of the details of this whole… arrangement.”

“Oh, you mean the ‘script’?” Jimin asked. The younger only nodded in response. “Yes, I am pretty sure I already got everything.”

“When is my birthday?” Jungkook suddenly asked, causing Jimin to raise a brow at him.

“Really? A quiz?” He older asked, surprised. When the CEO did not respond, Jimin opted to just answering his question.

“September 1, 1997.”

“Family background?”

“You have a mother, a father, and a brother who is older than you.”

“When and where did we meet?”

“Friday, two years ago, in a café with no available seats.”

“Good.” Jungkook said, nodding contentedly. “I don’t really think Seokjin will ask those details right away, so you still have time.”

“I already got them, don’t worry.” Jimin answered. “How about you, then? When is my birthday?”

“1995.” Jungkook answered. He fell silent right after mentioning the year, causing Jimin to cast him a judgmental look.

“Month? Date?”

“October… uhmmm…” Jungkook trailed off, his words already confused, but his gaze still steel hard on the door in front of him.

“Oh my god, Jungkook, really?!” Jimin said, exasperated. He really exerted effort to learn the details about Jungkook’s life, only for him to know that they could get busted just because the younger did not know when his birthday was?

“October 13!!! October 13!!!” Jungkook exclaimed, suddenly remembering the date he read the night before just once. He clapped his hands in delight. “It’s October 13, right? Oh god, I’m so great…”

“Oh really?” Jimin asked, mocking. “You’re so great you could get us caught just because you did not bother reading my details.”

“Oh please, it’s not like it’s the only thing I needed to do last night, Park Jimin.” Jungkook retorted, getting back to his nonchalant stance. “I’m a busy man.”

Jimin just snickered at his excuse.

A little while after that exchange, the two reached the parking lot and wasted no time to get inside the younger’s car and driving out into the streets of Seoul. Jungkook mentally thanked the heavens when he noticed that the traffic outside was not as heavy as usual.

“Where are we going to meet him, anyway?” Jimin asked, his gaze fixed on the buildings they were passing by. “I mean… I forgot to ask you last night when you told me we’d meet him today.”

“Just wait and you’ll see.” Jungkook answered. Since he was not willing to talk a little bit longer, Jimin just dropped the subject and thought of other things to do while waiting for them to arrive at… wherever their meeting place was.

Jungkook was busy paying attention to the road they were traversing while at the same time recalling the things that he have read when he scanned Jimin’s document the night prior to their meeting with Seokjin when Jimin suddenly spoke.

“Jungkook-ah.”

The instant Jimin said that, Jungkook momentarily lost control of the steering wheel, causing their car to swerve a little bit, and Jimin to let out a very unmanly squeak.

“What the hell?!” Jimin questioned, clutching his chest.

“What the hell was that?!” Jungkook returned the question, referring to a different thing. “What’s with the intimate speech?!”

“I was just practicing.” Jimin answered, grinning at the younger as if he did not just ignore their difference. “You know I never really had the chance to practice being sweet with you and all.”

“There’s no need do that.”

“Of course there is!” Jimin countered. “Even veteran actors try out the scene before shooting it! What makes you think we can get this in one shot without any practice? Especially since we don’t exactly have a good boss-employee relationship.”

“And that is your fault.” Jungkook said. “You were too clumsy and even dared to talk against me without knowing who I was.”

“No, it wasn’t my fault.” The older replied, getting worked up. “If you’d be a little bit more polite, then I wouldn’t have called you names!”

“But you—”

“Blah, blah, Jungkook-ah!” Jimin butted in, not letting the younger finish with his sentence. “So, anyway, what would we call each other when we are around Kim Seokjin?”

The boss glared at his employee for his manners, but after realizing that Jimin was not listening to him, he just sighed and proceeded to answering him. Just so they could finish with the conversation. “Hmmm…” Jungkook thought out loud. “How about just our names?”

“What? Of course not!” Jimin strongly rejected the idea. “That is not creative, nor sweet at all! Let’s see, uhmm… how about sticking with Jungkook-ah? Or maybe bunny?”

“What?!”

“Well, you look like a bunny, so it could work.” Jimin explained. “Or we could go with Jungkookie. Or just Kookie. Or—wait… are you smiling?” Jimin suddenly asked, tilting his head to get a better look on Jungkook’s face. He was just listing possible nicknames for the younger, and he was anything but responsive, but when Jimin mentioned ‘Kookie’, the boy’s lips suddenly looked tensed as he tried to hold back a smile.

“What?! No!” Jungkook protested, playing it off as coolly as he could. He was not going to let Jimin know that he secretly liked the nickname.

“Oh, let’s go with Kookie, then!” Jimin said, clapping his hands once, happy with his decision. “Let’s be honest, it suits you. Okay then, what about for me? What will you call me?”

“Can’t I just call you Jimin?” Jungkook asked, his eyes still fixed on the road. They were already driving on a highway at a high speed, so he needed to be more careful and alert.

“What? No!” Jimin disagreed. “That’s not sweet at all! It wasn’t even creative! And it was even disrespectful!”

“But I don’t know how!”

“Oh come on!” Jimin complained, fed up by Jungkook’s lack of cooperation. “Just suggest anything!”

“Uhmm… okay.” Jungkook answered, and sighed. Jimin patiently waited for the younger to come up with something. Ten, twenty, thirty seconds went by without a sound in the car before Jungkook finally opened his mouth,

“Jimin-hyung.”

“Ughhhhh!!!” Jimin groaned, feeling the urge to rub his face, but resisting it because it would mess up his makeup. “Come on, Jeon Jungkook-ssi! You’re more creative than that!”

“But…” Jungkook wanted to protest, but decided against it because he was suddenly hyper aware of his voice. He felt like he was beginning to sound whiny.

“Come on, suggest some more.” Jimin said, trying to encourage the younger to think harder. Once again, he patiently waited for Jungkook to speak again, and this time, it was a lot faster.

“Jiminie-hyung, Minnie-hyung, Minnie, Mochi—”

“What?! Where did ‘Mochi’ come from?”

“Because you look like one.” Jungkook smugly answered, happy that he annoyed the older a bit. He then proceeded to listing more nicknames.

“Chimchim, Chimchim-hyung, Jimin-ah…”

“I think I’ll go with Jiminie-hyung.” Jimin suddenly cut him, having decided on the matter. “Mochi sounds really interesting, but it’s too interesting, and I like Jiminie-hyung more.” He smiled, settling further into his seat and sighing. “It makes me feel superior.”

“Yah.” Jungkook protested, his voice dropping down a few notes. “Don’t get too ahead of yourself, Park. In case you’re forgetting, we’re only a couple when around Seokjin. And right now, we are not around Kim Seokjin. So stay on your lane.”

Jimin snapped his head to Jungkook’s direction, only to see the younger’s serious face. He knew he could not do anything but agree to his boss. The most he could do was pout.

And pout Jimin did. “I was just practicing.” He mumbled, rolling his eyes at the younger who could not set aside business and have fun even just for once.

After Jungkook reprimanded Jimin, the car once again fell into an awkward silence that neither man tried to alleviate. In contrast to Jungkook, who was content with driving, Jimin was bored after a few minutes of not talking. He was about to try to talk to Jungkook again when his phone dinged, indicating the arrival of a message.

 

> _From: Yoongi-hyung_
> 
> _Where are you?_

Jimin smiled softly as he read the text, silently thanking Yoongi for saving him from having to talk to Jungkook.

 

> _To: Yoongi-hyung_
> 
> _Out with Mr. Jeon, CEO. Why?_

He quickly sent the message, but right after, he composed another one which he also sent to his hyung.

 

> _To: Yoongi-hyung_
> 
> _Are you still with TaeTae? You lovesick puppy… :P_

Jimin internally laughed at his own message, already imagining Yoongi flushing a deep red at his text. Within a few seconds, a reply came.

 

> _From: Yoongi-hyung_
> 
> _What’s going on? Taehyung said you’ve been called to the CEO’s office a couple of times already._

> _To: Yoongi-hyung_
> 
> _It’s a secret. :P_
> 
> _And you did not answer my question about TaeTae._

> _From: Yoongi-hyung_
> 
> _:P_

“Aish… this hyung…” Jimin chuckled, feeling happy for his hyung who was finally liking someone again. He could not help but laugh a bit at how familiar Yoongi’s actions were towards Taehyung.

“What are you laughing at?” The car’s driver, Jungkook, suddenly asked.

“It’s nothing.” Jimin answered, still smiling, recalling his past with Yoongi. Just like what the older was doing with Taehyung, he also spent too much time with Jimin in the past, just talking about things, before they got together. He remembered Yoongi admitting to him that he never really thought about his sexuality in the past before he met Jimin.

He remembered Yoongi telling him he was the person to make Yoongi realize that he falls in love with people and not with a certain sex.

It made Jimin feel worth of something. Yoongi’s words in the past flattered Jimin up until today. That only meant that he was also attractive. While it may not be physically or aesthetically, the cool, pale, and seemingly indifferent man actually saw something lovable in Jimin. Maybe it was his personality. Or the way he carried himself.

Either way, Jimin appreciated Yoongi’s admiration. It was a memory that he would treasure forever. It was a feeling that could save him whenever he felt worthless.

Jimin’s thoughts were cut by the sound of his phone dinging again as new message from Yoongi arrived.

 

> _From: Yoongi-hyung_
> 
> _Let’s talk when you get back. I need to ask you something._

Maybe it was the lack of emoticons in the message, but Jimin suddenly felt nervous once he read the message. He decided to just set it aside for the moment because he had more pressing and more immediate matters to be nervous about.

Jimin let out a sigh upon remembering what was about to happen, a sigh that Jungkook caught.

“Yah, what’s going on?” Jungkook asked, turning the steering wheel.

“It’s nothing.”

“Nothing my ass. Of course there’s something.” Jungkook retorted. “Just a while ago, you were smiling and laughing on your own, and now you’re sighing like you’re carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. Are you crazy?”

Not wanting to argue with the younger, Jimin opted to remaining silent and not answering the question. Jungkook noticed the sudden shift in Jimin’s mood, and while he really did not care about his well-being, they were already approaching their meeting place with Seokjin, so he needed to cheer Jimin up again.

“Yah, Jiminie-hyung, you’re hiding things from your Kookie?” Jungkook tried to sound cute, but deep inside, he felt like throwing up. It felt unnatural—acting sweet with someone of the same sex.

“We’re not around Kim Seokjin yet, so we’re not boyfriends.” Jimin replied, still sounding down. He was holding his phone with his hands on his lap as he stared outside, watching the buildings passing by. The younger squinted his eyes to see what was on the phone’s screen, and managed to read that the message was from Yoongi.

“Yah, Park Jimin-ssi.” Jungkook tried again, this time trying to sound intimidating. “Tell me what is happening, right now, as your boss.”

“This is personal matter, sir.” Jimin answered easily, still not facing Jungkook. “You have no jurisdiction regarding this matter.”

In all honesty, Jungkook really did not care. That is, if he had seen someone else’s name on the elder’s phone. But it was Yoongi Jimin was talking to. The same Yoongi that Jungkook approached for help before he went to Jimin.

The same Yoongi that knew about his plan.

Jungkook was just worried that Jimin and Yoongi were talking about their plan.

“Yah, Park.” Jungkook started, making sure the he had Jimin’s full attention. “I just want to remind you that you are not allowed to talk to anyone about this plan of ours, okay?”

“Yes, I remember.” Jimin replied, sitting properly on his seat. He was finally able to snap out of his nervous thoughts, so now, he wanted something else to occupy himself with. He took note of how long they have been on the road before talking again to the younger.

“Just how far is the meeting place?” Jimin asked, taking note of the unfamiliar territory around him. Just when he finished asking, the car began to slow down as they pulled over to the parking lot of a building.

“We’re here.” Jungkook answered. “From this point, we’re… boyfriends.” He said, internally cringing at the sound of it. He then stepped out of the car and rounded the hood before stopping to open Jimin’s door.

Jimin, on the other hand, closed his eyes and gave himself a pep talk before stepping out of the car with a smile on his lips. “Woah… Kookie, what is this?” He asked, genuinely wondering at the building in front of him. It was different from the other corporate buildings he had seen before.

“It’s an events hall, hyung.” Jungkook answered, still trying to not visibly shudder at the intimacy of their words towards each other. Seokjin was still nowhere to be seen, but they cannot be too careful.

Jimin traced the intricate design on the establishment’s façade, until his eyes eventually met the LED screen showing the event happening in a few minutes.

“A talk on gay rights and relationships?” Jimin asked, quite surprised that Jungkook took him to such an event.

“Yeah, it’s that.” Jungkook answered, still quite not used to the whole situation. “Seokjin-hyung is an LGBT supporter, and he is a speaker in this event. When we met yesterday, he invited me to come.”

 

> _As expected, when Jungkook arrived at the café where Seokjin asked to meet, the latter was already seated and waiting for him. Internally berating himself once again for making the older wait, Jungkook made his way to the table, and smiled back when Seokjin, who have already turned around in his seat to face him, gave him a smile._
> 
> _“Hi.” Jungkook greeted the older. “Nice meeting you again, Jin-hyung.”_
> 
> _“Yeah, it’s nice we could eat together again.” Seokjin replied, looking agitated. “I’m sorry, I will have to leave you right now. You see, I am just actually waiting for you to come before I go to the comfort room.”_
> 
> _“Oh, oh, I see, I see.” Jungkook hurriedly said, making some way for Seokjin. “I’m sorry for keeping you… and your bladder waiting.”_
> 
> _“No prob.” Seokjin answered, chuckling a bit at the younger’s words before rushing to the comfort room._
> 
> _While the older was away, Jungkook took his time fixing himself again. He was in the middle of looking at his reflection through his phone screen when it lit up to reveal a text message._
> 
> _From: Cinderella_
> 
> _Kim Seokjin postponed further discussions and decisions regarding the deal. Though Pink Princess will still accept presentations from both parties. The other company is still ahead in terms of number of visits._
> 
> _“It’s working.” Jungkook mumbled to himself, smiling. He could not believe that he was actually gaining Seokjin’s attention._
> 
> _Happy with the news, the CEO replied to their link to Pink Princess before stuffing his phone back to his pocket. Shortly after, Seokjin came back, looking calmer than he did a while ago._
> 
> _“Sorry I took a while. Just bumped into someone along the way.” Seokjin said as he took his seat again in front of Jungkook. “Let’s order?”_
> 
> _“Okay.” Jungkook answered. They then called a waiter and told him their orders. Once the crew left them, they proceeded to talking to each other about their lives, of course opening with “How are you”s and other default conversation topics._
> 
> _But the whole while that the two were talking, Jungkook was thinking of a way to bring up his ‘boyfriend’. He was about to bring it up out of the blue when conveniently, Seokjin started talking about another one of his talks._
> 
> _“You see, I actually want to invite you to come to this talk I will be going to tomorrow, if you aren’t busy? It’s 10 AM tomorrow.”_
> 
> _“Oh… I don’t think I have anything to do around that time tomorrow.” Jungkook answered, pleased at the direction their conversation was taking._
> 
> _“That’s great!” Seokjin smiled, happy that he finally got Jungkook to agree. “I’ll just email you the details of the talk later, okay?”_
> 
> _“Yeah, that’s fine.” The younger replied, acting shy all of a sudden. He had this emotion perfected long before he became involved in the corporate world. “Actually, I was wondering if I could take someone with me.”_
> 
> _He then sent a look at Seokjin with his head slightly turned to the side to give the effect that he was a bit embarrassed, and saw that the older was looking at him with a raised brow._
> 
> _“Someone special?”_
> 
> _“Yeah.” Jungkook answered, still acting shy about everything._
> 
> _“Oh, you have a girlfriend? That’s nice! I’d like to meet the lucky girl.” Seokjin nodded to himself as he received their orders. Jungkook waited for the waiter to leave again before he continued with his plan._
> 
> _“Actually… it’s… a boyfriend.” He shyly continued. This time, he was genuinely shy at his actions. The blush on his cheeks was not intentional, but it was a welcome help._
> 
> _“R-Really?!” Seokjin exclaimed, surprised at the younger’s revelation. “I mean… aren’t you straight or something? Cuz based on your reaction when I told you I had a boyfriend…”_
> 
> _“I was just shy and shocked, that’s all.” Jungkook defended himself. “I really didn’t think that you’d be… like us.”_
> 
> _“Awww… that’s cute!” Seokjin suddenly said, reaching over to pinch one of Jungkook’s still flushed cheeks. “Of course you could take him with you. I’d love, love, love to meet him.”_
> 
> _Jungkook only nodded to the older in response. He was in the middle of mixing his pasta when Seokjin opened his mouth to ask a question._
> 
> _“What’s his name?” Seokjin asked, mouth chewing the pizza he already stuffed inside. “The boyfriend.”_
> 
> _“Jimin.” Jungkook answered. “Park Jimin._

“Oh… I get it now.” Jimin nodded in understanding, impressed at the younger’s acting skills. “You’re good at this, huh?”

“Sort of. I had to learn how to survive in this harsh world.” Jungkook kiddingly answered, but for some reason, Jimin could also see some truthfulness in the younger’s eyes.

The two of them then faced the entrance, and simultaneously sighed. Jimin looked at the taller man standing beside him, and held out his hand.

It took a moment, but Jungkook eventually noticed the outstretched hand. He looked at Jimin questioningly before voicing out his confusion. “What?”

“Oh come on.” Jimin chuckled, gesturing to his hands with his eyes. Jungkook just rolled his eyes at him in response.

But instead of giving up, Jimin just grabbed the younger’s hand himself and interlaced their fingers, smiling at the bewildered Jungkook once the deed was done. It had been a long time since he last held hands with someone, and doing it now, with someone who was not even really his boyfriend, surprisingly did not feel foreign.

“Kookie, let’s go?” Jimin asked, the grin on his face not even faltering before he dragged the younger inside.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Sorry for not posting sooner... I literally just finished typing this chapter. It's really long for a chapter, actually. :)  
> I hope you guys like it! :)

 

Jimin led Jungkook inside the building with the younger’s hand in his own, half running and half walking. Just past the door was the main lobby, which was already filled with guests and participants to the talk when Seokjin invited the two.

The young CEO expected the event to have many participants, but he still was not prepared for just how many the actual attendees were. The lobby was practically teeming with people, mostly men holding hands with their partners. There were also females, but their numbers just pale compared to the sheer number of the male couples.

The whole situation made Jungkook feel uncomfortable.

He was suddenly hyper aware of his surroundings, not used to being so many gay people around him. He was fine with Namjoon, and was of couse initially uncomfortable with Seokjin, but right now, he could not help but visibly shudder.

“Hey, Kookie, are you okay?” Jimin’s voice snapped Jungkook out of his thoughts, making him spare their still linked hands a glance. He was still not happy with the way the older was addressing him, but it was all part of the act.

As an answer, Jungkook just shook his head at the older.

“Jungkook!” A voice that managed to stand out from the noise of the crowd made both of them snap their heads to the direction of the front desk. The instant the younger realized who it was, a smile automatically appeared on his lips.

“Hyung!” Jungkook answered, waving his hand up high in the air to greet the older. He then bent a little bit lower to whisper to Jimin’s ears. “He’s Kim Seokjin.”

“Oh. Okay.” Jimin nodded in understanding. He then gave the approaching tall male a smile which faltered when he realized that it was not the first time that he saw the ‘victim’.

“Oh, is this Park Jimin?” Seokjin asked, pointing to the smallest of the three. Both Jungkook and Jimin gave the older nods of confirmation. “Oh my god, aren’t you—”

“Yeah, I was that person.” Jimin admitted, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. “Sorry again for that.”

“No, no! It’s fine!” Seokjin reassured the younger. He then turned to Jungkook and explained what was going on, that he actually met Jungkook’s ‘boyfriend’ the day before when he was on his way to the comfort room when he was meeting Jungkook.

“Oh, so you were the person he was meeting then?” Jimin mused, smiling. “Kookie told me that he’s going out to meet someone in the café yesterday.”

“Yes, that was me.” Seokjin answered. “And really? ‘Kookie’? That’s so cute!” He cooed, softly clapping his hands. “Just like the two of you! You two look cute together!”

“Thanks!” Jimin answered, grinning. Jungkook, on the other hand, felt disgusted at the thought of being ‘cute’ with the company newbie he had always hated right from the start.

“Ooohh… Is Jeon Jungkook shy?” Seokjin teased Jungkook upon the seeing the younger looking down on the floor in embarrassment, interpreting his lack of response as being abashed. It was the second time he was seeing the legendary Jeon Jungkook shy, and both instances involved them talking about relationships. Seokjin thought it was adorable—how the reserved, well-put-together, and confident young CEO become almost child-like in embarrassment when they were talking about their love lives.

“Yeah, he’s still uncomfortable talking about romantic stuff.” Jimin said to Seokjin, letting out a soft chuckle afterwards.

“I see, I see.” Seokjin answered. “Oh, then you guys should come inside and have a seat! The talk is about to start, and I want you guys to get the best seats at the front.”

“Thank you.”

“Yeah, thanks, hyung.” Jungkook added, waving the older goodbye as Seokjin left them in favor of preparing for the talk. Once he was gone, Jimin took a look at his companion and noted that Jungkook still looked stiff.

Giving him a reassuring smile that said it would be fine, Jimin led the two of them inside the venue and as they walked to the front seats, the older could not help but think that it was not as bad as he thought it would be. It was refreshing—he was in a new place, seeing a new side of the Jeon Jungkook he had learned to hate since the first time they met.

Jimin realized that after all, Jungkook was still human. He was not as invincible as he wanted others to see him. And it made the newbie hate his boss less.

However, Jimin still could not forget the fact that it was Jungkook who staged the whole fake boyfriend act. He could not forget that he was hand in hand with the same Jeon Jungkook that called him a gold digger a few days ago, and that he was the same Jeon Jungkook who apparently had no sense of right or wrong, only a sense of profitable or not.

What made the whole ordeal a lot more difficult was that Jimin could see that Kim Seokjin was very much different from Jungkook, or any other business man for that matter. Kim Seokjin was a good man—a good man that he was deceiving.

Jimin internally cursed as he once again felt guilt building up inside him. And just like how he repelled it every time it hit him, the designer thought of his struggling parents back in Busan.

 _I’m sorry, Kim Seokjin-ssi._ Jimin thought. _I’m so sorry._

“Uhm, hyung,” Jimin was brought back to reality when he heard Jungkook calling his name, prompting him to look at the younger, who just motioned with his gaze towards their still linked hands.

“Oh, sorry.” Jimin replied coolly as he gently let go of the other’s hand, preferring not to violently yank his arm away, conscious that Seokjin might still be seeing them.

On the other hand, Jungkook used his newly-freed hand to fish out his phone out from his pocket to check the time.

_09:58 AM_

“Almost time.” Jungkook mumbled. He then looked around them and saw that the venue was already getting filled with people, all of them apparently audience. Most of them were in pairs, holding each other’s hands as they wandered the place, looking for a good spot to sit on.

Jungkook was not expecting that many people to come. The last time he checked, homosexuality was not so widespread and accepted in Korea.

The young man’s senses suddenly perked up when he felt someone taking a seat on the chair beside his. When he turned around to face him, Jungkook saw that it was another audience, a man who was probably already in his thirties. Jungkook felt discomfort bubble in him.

Said man abruptly turned his attention to Jungkook, and smiled. It scared the younger, really, but since he was in a public place, he had to control his urge to punch the man and just smiled at him in return, his cheeks hurting from the fakeness of it all.

“Did you come with someone?” The man suddenly asked Jungkook, making him jump slightly in his seat. Too shocked and tongue-tied to respond with words, Jungkook just motioned to Jimin as an answer.

The sound of the conversation piqued the interest of the said companion, making him turn his head to Jungkook’s direction. He noticed the discomfort in the younger’s face, confusing him as to what was making Jungkook so uneasy, before he saw the other person on his far side.

 _Ah… he’s talking to Jungkook._ Jimin thought, mentally laughing at the awkward younger before addressing the stranger.

“Hello, sir.” Jimin said, greeting the older male with grace. Jimin never really had too much trouble with socializing in public events, so he was quite used to casual greetings with strangers.

“Hello there, young one.” The man greeted him back. “Are you this guy’s…”

“Boyfriend, sir.” Jimin continued, smiling. The other smiled back at him before leaning back a little bit to take a look at both Jungkook and Jimin, before his face erupted into a full blown grin.

“You two look great together!” He said, patting Jungkook’s back and bowing slightly at Jimin before turning his attention to his other side which was occupied by his own partner.

Once the interaction was over, Jimin just gave Jungkook a weird look before he once again let his eyes wander around the place.

The younger, on the other hand, was still a bit shaken by the event. He took a couple of deep breathes to stabilize himself before he mentally berated himself for being an awkward man, when he and Jimin were together in a secure, public place.

 _You have nothing to be scared about, Jeon. Get it together!_ He said to himself. Once he was feeling better, he took a look at Jimin, who was still busy inspecting the venue. In contrast to himself, Jungkook thought that Jimin seemed a lot more confident and comfortable.

And the way he handled every situation that they have faced in the past few minutes that they have spent in the place… it was as if Jimin was not even acting.

Jungkook smiled to himself, deciding that he had made the right call when he approached Park Jimin for help. He should remember to give the guy a bonus for a job well done for the day.

Jungkook’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the even starting. According to the program, Seokjin was the last of the three speakers for the event, with his time being right after lunch break.

After the introductions and what-nots that not even Jungkook nor Jimin paid much attention to, the first speaker began his speech. He was someone who went by the name Yoon Jeonghan, and everyone could not help but be in awe of the man’s gorgeousness. Well, everyone except for Jungkook, who just noted how long the man’s hair was for a male. He even compared it to that of actual girls, and quickly decided that even women would envy the guy for his hair.

Jeonghan’s talk was about the struggles that gays faced because of their orientation—a sensitive and timely topic. For all the subject’s seriousness, the speaker was able to add comedy to his stories of himself growing up as someone straight during his childhood. He laughed about how he even played basketball back when he was a child, and even bragged about the unending love letters he received from girls in their school.

However, the talk took a different turn when Jeonghan started talking about the first time he received a love letter from a guy. He shared that it shocked him so much at first, and even thought that it was a dare or a prank of some sort. When he learned that it was real, and actually met the guy who sent him the letter, he was terrified.

“But it was a different kind of terrified.” Jeonghan said, looking at nothing in particular. “I was not terrified because I was disgusted at the… unconventional affection. In fact, it was the complete opposite. I was scared, because instead of feeling wrong, it actually felt right.”

And that was when he started questioning his sexuality, he said. And when he was finally able to accept that he was gay, thanks to the guy who made him realize it, he could not stop himself from feeling happy. Like he was able to breathe for the first time.

“I was happy, we were happy.” Jeonghan recalled. “But apparently, everyone else around me wasn’t. When I finally admitted to my friends that I was gay, the bullying started.”

Jeonghan then proceeded to telling tales about his injuries due to the bullying he experienced at such a young age, the physical, mental, and emotional trauma the event had caused in him. He got emotional when he mentioned that it was alright to him, because he was together with the love of his life, and his family.

However, it all changed when the news reached his own parents. Instead of supporting him like what he thought they would do, his own family alienated—disowned him.

When Jeonghan began recalling what happened to him when his family forced him to leave home for being, according to them, “nature’s abomination”, Jimin could not help but feel tears forming in his eyes. Jeonghan’s story, while altogether different, was relatable for him.

Because just like the speaker, Jimin was also judged by his family when he came out to them about being gay. He was just lucky that he decided to confide to them first before he did in his school. Based on his parents’—who were supposed to support him and accept him for who he was—reaction, the world really was not kind to people like them.

It helped Jimin decide to keep his sexuality hidden from everyone else, except for Yoongi, who he eventually met and loved.

“Yah, Jimin, are you alright?” Jungkook’s voice suddenly pulled Jimin out of his painful recall, making the latter look at the former with glossy eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.” Jimin said in reply, nodding his head and giving the younger a smile. “Thanks.”

“For what?”

“Nothing…” Jimin continued, opting to put his attention back at the speaker in front. “Just… thanks.”

Jungkook just let himself wonder at the older beside him. He felt saddened at the sight of the usually either smiling or scowling man being vulnerable, so he just felt like asking if Jimin was alright. After all, even though they were not exactly friends, Jimin was still someone he was not a stranger to.

When Jeonghan ended his speech, Jimin was among those who clapped hard and with fervor for him. The event went straight to the next speaker, who spoke about gay rights in Korea.

In contrast to how relatable the first one was, the second one was, in Jimin’s opinion, boring. Maybe it was because there was less anecdotes, or the speaker himself was boring. Also, there were more technical terms that Jimin could not understand in the second part.

Jungkook, on the other hand, was also bored by the speaker. But he tried his best to not show it, because his status as a CEO have taught him how to listen despite how boring the person speaking in front was, or at least how to look as if he was listening.

The older looked around him to gauge the reaction of the audience, and saw that while most of the audience also looked bored, some of them also looked actually interested, nodding to the speaker’s words, as if they could understand the terms.

Lunch break came after the second speaker. It took place in another room in the building—a large hall dedicated for meals for social events. As Jimin and Jungkook traveled from the seminar hall to the mess hall, the latter could not help but wonder why they were going to eat inside the event when he did not remember paying for anything.

“I already paid for this.” Jungkook answered him when the older had the courage to ask.

Numerous tables were arranged inside the hall, with each table surrounded by eight chairs. A stage was set up on one end, where a live band was already getting ready for the performance during the meal. The pair was the first to arrive at their assigned table, and soon after they settled, they were approached by the remaining speaker, the one they were actually waiting for.

“How was it so far?” Seokjin asked as he placed each of his hands on the opposite shoulders of the two. Jimin and Jungkook simultaneously looked the older to see him smiling.

“It was great.” Jungkook replied, smiling back. “Very interesting topics.”

“Though the second one was pretty boring.” Jimin added, making the three of them laugh. “The first one was really, really relatable though.”

“Yeah, I even saw you tearing up towards the end.” The oldest of the three commented, pulling an embarrassed chuckle from Jimin.

“I’m sorry, I just got carried away.”

“No problem, it’s really fine.” Seokjin answered, patting the younger’s shoulder. “I’m next though, so you guys should listen well, okay?”

“Yes, hyung.” Jungkook answered with a nod. Seokjin then bid the other two goodbye before he left to eat alongside the other two speakers.

Shortly after the conversation, three more couples arrived at the table where Jungkook and Jimin were assigned. Two were male couples, and the other pair was a lesbian couple. It appalled the younger to see the couples up close, especially since they were not exactly gay-looking. In fact, they were quite attractive.

 _What a waste of genes._ Jungkook thought to himself.

Jungkook was too busy making himself a little bit more comfortable that he did not notice the other seven already getting talkative with each other as they waited for the server to give them their meal. They were just talking about the usual things that ‘normal’ people talk about, so why was Jungkook still unable to join?

“Hey, aren’t you the famous CEO?” One of their female companions noted, causing the whole table to put their focus on Jungkook. Their stares made the already-agitated male start to sweat buckets.

“Oh, Jeon… Jeon… Jeon Jungkook? The young CEO?” One of the males asked, recalling a name he had already heard before.

“Oh, uhmm… I…” Jungkook stammered, not really knowing how to respond to their questions. His brain had already stopped working the moment the female pointed it out. He was starting to panic, wracking his brain for anything, just anything, to say to the other people who were still looking expectantly at him.

“Kookie.” A soft voice suddenly pulled Jungkook out of his muddled up thoughts. He looked to his side to see Jimin looking at him with concern, probably having noticed his dilemma. It did calm him down enough to give a good enough response to the question aimed at him.

“Ah, sorry about that…” Jungkook scratched the back of his head shyly. “Yeah, I’m that Jungkook. Nice to meet you all.”

“Oh, this is awesome!” Another male, the partner of the one who previously mentioned Jungkook’s name, cheered.

“Yeah, it’s pretty awesome. That you’re not afraid to go out with your boyfriend despite your reputation on the line.”

“Thank you.”

“Actually he’s still pretty shy about it, since I’m his first serious relationship.” Jimin added, causing Jungkook to look at the older in shock. “He’s pretty inexperienced.”

“Oh, oh, so you are more experienced than him?” The other female asked.

“Well, yeah, I also had a boyfriend with whom I broke up with a few months before I met Kookie.” The designer answered, grinning.

 _He’s probably talking about Min Yoongi._ Jungkook thought to himself. He was getting annoyed by the way Jimin was portraying him as if he was a child. While it was true that he never had a serious relationship before, he was still not ‘inexperienced’. He had watched a lot of dramas and read a lot of stories in the past. Those should count.

“I’m two years older than him, so I should have more experience.” Jimin added.

“Yah! Just because y—”

“Just shut up and eat.” Jimin cut him off by placing a finger on his protesting mouth, causing the whole table to erupt into a loud laughter as the servers started placing plates full of food on their table.

They then started eating, only stopping to engage in small talks with each other. The meal was surprisingly satisfying for Jimin, since he was not used to sumptuous meals in seminars. The ones he had attended in the past were always lacking either in quality or quantity, but today’s was great.

 _Jungkook probably paid a fortune for this._ Jimin mused.

When lunch ended an hour later, everyone returned to the seminar hall and reoccupied their previous seats in preparation for the last speaker, who was Kim Seokjin. And as the introductory speaker gave the floor to the pretty man, everyone could not help but feel in awe.

“So, ironically, as a single person, I will talk about relationships.” Seokjin joked, causing the whole hall to laugh. “But just because I am single now doesn’t mean I did not have my fair share of hurts and experiences. And if anything, I think the fact that I am single today makes me even more qualified for this. And you’re about to know why.”

He then proceeded to sharing his experiences with his past relationships, starting from his first love, up until the last boyfriend he only described as a ‘pretentious jerk’ who ‘secretly craved dick but was too manly to admit it”.

Seokjin’s speech was mostly comedic, effectively gaining and keeping the attention of the audience who were supposedly already sleepy because they just ate, but are surprisingly attentive and alive, too enamored to even feel tired.

However, just like the first speaker, Seokjin suddenly shifted his tone into a sadder, darker one.

“But despite having met—and slept with—all those different men, I knew what my heart really wants.” He continued, pausing to take deep breaths right after. “I just couldn’t forget him. My first love. And after everything, even after more than a decade of not knowing anything about him. I still love him. I still wonder at times—what if we did not break up at that time?” Seokjin smiled, but everyone could see the pain in his eyes.

His expression was filled with longing.

“After all this years, I still couldn’t stop myself from imagining that we were still together happily.” The speaker added.

“I still could not stop worrying and asking how he’s doing now.”

“I still could not stop replaying our moments together in my mind.”

“And I still love him.” Seokjin ended, bringing out his handkerchief to wipe at the lone tear that managed to escape his eyes.

Teary eyed, Jungkook shifted his gaze from Kim Seokjin to look at the people around him. Most of them were already wiping their cheeks with handkerchiefs, and some were being comforted by their partners. He then took a look at Jimin seated beside him, and saw that he older had his face buried in the palm of his hands which were clutching a handkerchief.

This time, Jungkook did not stop himself from giving the shorter a comforting pat on his back.

 _Such a cry baby._ Jungkook chuckled in his mind.

“Jungkook-ah, Jimin-ah.” The two snapped their heads up upon hearing their names being called. Not just called—announced, even, since it was Seokjin himself who called them.

“Could you guys please come in front and share your story?” He asked, smiling. Jimin looked at Jungkook in surprise, nervousness suddenly coursing into his veins again. The younger just gave Jimin a nod to signal that they should do it before he stood up, pulling the older up from his seat and leading the way to the stage.

Once they were up in front, Jimin looked at the audience before looking away once again, not comfortable because of the fact that everyone’s attention was on him.

 _Oh my god… My makeup should be gone by now because of all the crying I just did._ Jimin thought to himself, suddenly feeling insecure.

“So… uhm… hi.” Jungkook said into the microphone.

“These two are my friends, and I invited them here. They did not know I would make them talk about their relationship, so this can be interesting.” Seokjin said to the audience, introducing the two other people on the stage with him. The then turned his attention to them and asked, “So, what’s your story as a couple.”

“Oh, uhm, it started like this.” Jungkook blabbered. He was about to tell their scripted story when for whatever reason, he just could not remember anything. He nervously glanced at Jimin for help, causing the older to sigh at him before grabbing the microphone from his hands.

“Sorry about Kookie here, he’s really shy about relationship stuff.” Jimin said, pulling out chuckles from the waiting audience. “And also, sorry about my… appearance here. My makeup was smudged when I cried because of the speeches.”

“Oh, don’t worry, you still look great.” Seokjin said into the microphone, causing Jimin to feel his cheeks warm up.

“Yeah, you still look fine.” Jungkook added. It was not picked up by the microphone, so it was just Jimin who heard it. It inevitably made the older smile.

“Thanks.” Jimin said to the younger, before he turned his attention to the audience again. “So… we started two years ago, with me having broken up with my first boyfriend months before that. Kookie and I met in a café one Friday afternoon when it was filled and there were no free tables. I was there first, and Jungkookie here asked to join me. Maybe it was love at first sight for him.”

“It was not!” Jungkook shrieked, trying to steal the mic from the older. “I was just being—”

“Shhh, shhh, Jungkookie, I know you love me and all, just leave this to me.” Jimin chuckled, covering the younger’s mouth with his free hand and pushing him away. The audience let out a collective coo at their cuteness.

“Anyway, things started happening since then. It was as if the universe was conspiring or something. There came a time when we would bump into each other in the streets. Sometimes, we meet in the most unexpected settings, like in fast food restaurants. And then, eventually, we found out that the company where I was working was owned by his father.”

“Oh, that’s nice!” Seokjin butted in, smiling. However, Jimin could see the tension in the older’s smile. “And then?”

“Yeah… things went from there.” Jimin said, even adding nods to give a little more convincing powers to his story. “We eventually started dating. I still remember our first date, actually. It was in an amusement park.”

“It was his choice!” Jungkook suddenly spoke up, having acquired a microphone from the staff. He was a little bit scared that Jimin would once again revise the script and make him look more childish than he was already making him look like.

“Huh?”

“He’s older and all, but he’s a child at heart, so he dragged me into the amusement park!” Jungkook continued frantically. “I actually had to drag him out of the place when the time for it to close came. Ahhh… such a child.”

“What?! You’re exaggerating things!”

“No I’m not.”

“Yes you are!” Jimin countered, exasperated at the younger. “So, yeah, there it was. Our not-so-romantic love story.” He ended, making the crowd clap at them for sharing. The two of them bowed at the audience before turning their attention to Seokjin, who was also smiling.

But it was different. It seemed forced.

“Y-You may take your seats again. Thank you.” Seokjin said to the two as he reclaimed his position at the center of the stage. Once he was alone in front again, he was finally not able to hold back and started sobbing.

Both Jimin and Jungkook were surprised by the older’s reaction to their story. Their tale was not really something special—in fact, it was very cliché, as Jimin had pointed out. But for some reason, it made the speaker cry.

“I-I’m sorry.” Seokjin apologized through the tears wracking his body. “I-It was a sweet story, really. So cute.” He continued. “B-But…believe it or not… it’s the same as m-my story with my… first love.”

The crowd fell silent after the speaker’s confession. They could only watch with heavy hearts as Seokjin struggled to continue speak.

“As in… it’s exactly the same…” The broad-shouldered man continued when he managed to stabilize himself. The tears were still flowing, but at least he could already speak. “Wow… I did not expect that. We also first met in a filled café on a Friday, and had our first date in an amusement park where we spent the whole day. Just… wow.”

Confused, Jimin looked at Jungkook, hoping for answers on whether the latter knew about Kim Seokjin’s love story and was using it to gain more leverage. Jungkook only shrugged his shoulders at him.

“It’s the same… but the only difference is that,” Seokjin continued, gazing at the two who were still confused by the turn of events. “Is that you guys are happy together today, while I’m here, alone and single.” He then let out an embarrassed laugh, which lightened up the very heavy atmosphere that the moment caused.

“Yes, I’m single.” Seokjin continued, wiping away the last tears that rolled down his cheeks. “Yes, I’m alone, but that does not mean I’m lonely. And after all those boyfriends, I realized, I don’t need a man, at least for now. Because I already know who my heart really wants. And while we will never know if we would ever meet again, all I can do now is wait.

“Wait for him to come back to me, wait for our paths to cross again. And along the way, I should keep on improving myself, so when the time comes—when _our_ time finally comes—I can give the best of me to him, to my first love.

“But if that time doesn’t come in this life, it’s okay. I can wait longer than a lifetime, if it means in the end, I will be with him.”

Seokjin finished his speech, thanked the audience, and bowed down as the participants to the seminar gave him a big hand and stood up from their seats—even Jungkook and Jimin were on their feet. The whole speech was heart-felt, it was as if Seokjin was actually letting everyone into his own life. It was admirable of him, and as the event ended, Jimin could not help but feel like a criminal.

 

 

The hall was gradually deserted by the participants as everyone started leaving the place, but the two just stayed on their seats, waiting for the person that invited them into the event. It was getting quieter as the seconds passed, and Jimin was not one to enjoy himself in such a setting.

After a moment of thinking what to talk to Jungkook about, Jimin opened his mouth to speak. “So… what now?” He asked.

“We wait for Jin-hyung.” Jungkook answered. “By the way, you did great today. Like… really great.”

“Oh, thanks.” Jimin responded. He actually wanted to conversation to keep going a little bit longer, but he was out of words. It was as if his thoughts hit a solid wall in a long alley which turned out to be a dead end.

And just like how it had been since he arrived at the venue, Jungkook’s brain was struggling with coming up with something to say.

It getting more and more unbearable as the silence stretched on with none of them knowing what more to say, and fortunately, they did not have to act on it.

“Hello, guys!” Seokjin greeted the two, oblivious to the atmosphere that the two had unknowingly made for themselves.

“Hi, hyung!” Jungkook enthusiastically answered, standing up from his seat. “That was awesome!”

“Yeah, hyung, you were great.” Jimin added. “I don’t even know if we’re close enough for me to call you hyung but—”

“Don’t worry, Jimin, it’s fine.” The older answered with a smile. “I was gonna ask you to do it anyway if ever you addressed me formally again. And by the way, I saw you crying a while ago again! Jungkook,” Seokjin turned his attention to the said male. “Is Jimin really this much of a cry baby?”

“Well, yeah… sort of.” Jungkook answered, not really knowing for sure. But based on what he had seen, it really was the case.

“No I’m not!” Jimin protested. “Jin-hyung, don’t listen to him. If anything, he’s the baby here.”

“What?”

“It’s true!” The shortest of the three countered. “It’s not me who gets shy all the time whenever strangers approach me. And I don’t have bunny teeth.”

“Yah, you—”

“Okay stop it, children.” Seokjin chuckled, silencing the two bickering younger men. He let out another amused laugh when he saw the older of the two stick out a tongue at the younger.

The oldest sighed. “I don’t get how you guys managed to be in love when you seem to be bickering all the time.”

The other two froze, and sent each other panicked looks. Jungkook just looked away from the seen, not trusting his expressions at the moment. When the younger did this, Jimin could not help but feel a little bit mad at him for leaving all the work to the older.

“Well… yeah.” Jimin answered, scratching the back of his neck. “It’s surprising, when you think about it.”

Seokjin nodded the younger’s statement. “Yeah, but sometimes, those little things could actually be the key to long-lasting relationships.” He then sighed again, staring off at the distance. Jimin could see the slight pain in the taller’s eyes, and while even though he did not really know Seokiin, he felt like he understood what the longing gaze meant.

He was missing his first love.

“Hyung,” The short man said softly, snapping Seokjin back to their place. “You did well.”

Said man turned his attention to Jimin, his gaze soft and appreciative. “Thanks, Jimin.”

“Yeah, that was great… hyung.” Jungkook added, eyes on the floor. He just wanted to say something, because he felt left out by the two. He knew how delicate the moment was, but he was not used to dealing with such occasions.

“Aww, thanks, Jungkook.” Seokjin that.

The three then started heading for the outside, since the staff was already about to pack up. They shared small talks as they trudged the lobby of the building. Once they were out, the two younger males bid their goodbyes to the elder, while Seokjin thanked the two for attending the event.

Jungkook and Jimin then settled in the former’s car, and started travelling back to their office. Jimin let out a tired sigh as he closed his eyes and relaxed into his seat, exhausted by the day.

 _Maybe it’s my body punishing me for lying too much today._ He thought.

“Yah, hyung.” Jungkook called his attention, making the older open one of his eyes to see him. “You did really great today.”

“You, too, actually.” Jimin retorted, smiling. “Though you were really awkward, you still didn’t slip. That’s good enough.”

“Cut me some slack, okay? It’s my first time doing… that.”

“Yeah, yeah, Kook, whatever.”

“I’ll beat you next time!” Jungkook exclaimed, challenging the older. “I’ll show you how it’s really done.”

“Nah, you can’t beat me.” Jimin countered. “I’m too good for this.”

“Just wait and—wait a sec.” Jungkook was about to respond when his phone suddenly started ringing in his pocket, making him fumble a bit, trying to press the button on the dashboard to start the call.

“Hello?”

“Sir.” Momo’s voice sounded through the car speaker, making Jimin feel a bit awkward, since he was not used to hearing other’s people’s phone conversations.

“Yes?”

“The marketing department head wants to talk with you today, sir. Would you be able to make it?”

Jungkook raised his brow at no one. “Today? Just how urgent is it that he wants to talk about it today?” Jungkook asked, using his default cold, authoritative tone.

“He said it’s urgent, sir.” Momo answered. “What do I tell him?”

“Tell him to wait.” The CEO answered. “If he wants to talk today, he’ll have to wait an hour or so. I’m still on the road back to the office.”

“Okay, sir, thank you.”

And just like that, the call ended. Silence once again floated inside the car as the younger continued to drive. The conversation irked Jungkook a bit. He did not like sudden visits without appointments. He will probably have to reprimand the marketing head later.

“Uhm… Are you okay… Kook?” Jimin asked, unsure of how to approach the younger when he could see his knuckles turning white from gripping the wheel too tightly.

“Yeah, I’m fine, Park. Just…” Jungkook answered, motioning with his other hand towards Jimin instead of finishing his sentence. The tone he used took Jimin by surprise. Just a while ago, they were bickering like they were fine.

Deciding that Jungkook probably was not in the best mood—though he really did not understand why—Jimin just shut his mouth up and backed off.

“Sorry… sir.” Jimin said, relaxing against the seat again and ignoring the disappointment bubbling up inside him. Just when he thought they were getting better. Jimin forget that he was actually dealing with Jeon Jungkook, the young CEO, Mr. Menstruation Suit who could not even accept his apology over something that was not even his fault.

With that thought in mind, Jimin unknowingly fell asleep in the passenger seat of Jungkook’s car.

 

 

When Jimin woke up, they were already entering the parking lot of their company building. Without speaking a word to each other, the two made their way out of the car and into the dedicated elevator, heading straight to the younger’s office on the top floor.

Once they were in the office, Jungkook went straight to his desk and motioned for Jimin to come closer.

“Park Jimin-ssi,” Jungkook started. “Thank you for today.”

“Wow, this is new.” Jimin muttered, still a bit groggy from the nap he had along the way. “You’re kind today. I’m not used to it.” He chuckled, but when he noticed that Jungkook was not answering, he awkwardly cleared his throat and stood up straight. “It’s nothing, sir.” Jimin lied. “We had a deal. I’m just doing my end of the bargain.”

“Here, take this.” The boss then said. He then reached for an envelope in one of his desk’s drawers and held it towards the older. “As a thank you gift.”

“It’s really not necessary, sir.” Jimin refused, shaking both his head and his hands. “I was just doing my… job.”

“Aww, come on.” Jungkook insisted. “You even asked for a month’s worth of salary the last time. What changed that you don’t like money now, huh?”

The younger’s words shocked Jimin, making him physically take a step back. Not long after, his expression morphed from that of confusion to anger.

Of course, Jungkook noticed this. It took a while before the words he said registered, but when they did, the young CEO instantly regretted talking.

“Do you really think of me like that?” Jimin asked, scandalized. “Just when I thought you were changing…”

As much as he wanted to lash out at Jungkook, he knew he was not in the right place. What chance would someone like him stand against the renowned younger?

Jungkook, on the other hand, desperately wracked his brain for ways to salvage the situation. He really did not mean it that way—it was just that he did not think of his words too much before he uttered them. But even when Jimin already banged the door behind him as he left the office, Jungkook still could not think of anything.

He let out an exhausted sigh, his shoulders dropping at what just happened. Jungkook slapped his mouth with his free hand in irritation before shoving the envelope back to where he got it.

Seething in anger, Jimin made his way back to his own cubicle. His exhaustion grew with every step he took that once he reached his place, he could not even acknowledge Taehyung and opted plopping his dead weight on the chair.

The plastic structure let out a cracking sound in protest, but the drained male could not care less.

“You seem… tired.” Taehyung asked, concern laced in his tone.

“Yeah… tired.” Jimin replied. He actually wanted to say more—to complain, but he just could not. He was too tired to even turn his head to face the taller.

“Hey, Jimin.” Another voice said, prompting Taehyung to turn his head to look at the source. He found Yoongi standing just behind him, making him smile. “Are you… nope, you’re not alright.”

“I’m too tired…” Jimin groaned. “I don’t even know why, when all I did today was seat and listen.”

“Hmmm…” Yoongi mused loudly, thinking. He actually went to their department to talk to the younger about what he was talking about when they spoke through the phone earlier that day, but seeing the Jimin on the verge of falling asleep, he decided to set the thought aside and let the younger rest.

“You may want to transfer to one of the sleeping rooms, so you can properly rest.” Yoongi suggested. The designer actually wanted to reject the idea, but a bed sounded really nice. And he also wanted to help Yoongi get closer to Taehyung.

So, with even more groaning that sounded akin to a dying whale, Jimin groggily stood up from his seat and started lumbering out of the office and to the sleeping area.

“I’ll just go there later.” Yoongi said to the younger. “I still need to talk to you.”

“Yeah, I remember.” Jimin nodded before proceeding. Once he was gone, Yoongi turned his attention to the still-confused male.

“What happened to him?” Taehyung asked, tilting his head to the side. Yoongi found it too cute, but he would not admit it. Not out loud, at least.

“Not really sure, but I think he was with CEO Jeon the whole day.”

 

 

 

Jimin was woken up from his slumber by the blaring of his phone’s alarm which he had set right before he fell asleep. With his eyes closed, he started feeling the area around him for the device, knowing well that he had only put it nearby.

However, he was shocked when instead of the phone, his palms came in contact with smooth skin.

“Oh my god!” Jimin exclaimed as his eyes flew wide open. He stared at the smooth, white skin of the hand and traced it up before reaching Yoongi’s amused face.

“You look funny.” Yoongi commented before stopping the phone’s alarm and sitting on the bed next to Jimin. “You okay?”

“Yeah, still a bit tired, but better.” Jimin answered, stretching his limbs. “Did Tae go home already?”

“I guess…” Yoongi answered. “I left your cubicle when he said he would start fixing his things so he could leave. I guess he’s gone now.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Jimin.” Yoongi started. The serious tone the older used slightly confused Jimin, but he quickly caught on and conditioned himself for a serious conversation.

“What’s with you and CEO Jeon?” Yoongi asked, face dead.

“We’re just… working on a project, that’s all.”

“You’re lying.” The older answered. “Just recently you were ranting about him hating you. And now he’s working closely with you? Don’t bullshit me, Jimin, you know I hate it.”

The younger looked away, and sighed. He could not do it. He could not lie to Yoongi, because as much as he wanted to, he knew the older knew him probably more than he knew himself. But still, he had an agreement with Jungkook. He could not just spill the beans just because his sorry ass could not put up a façade.

“Look, Jimin, I know about Jeon Jungkook’s plans for Pink Princess.” Yoongi confessed, shocking Jimin. “Actually, he came to me first to ask me to pretend to be his boyfriend. I rejected it, for obvious reasons. And I know you would, too. What happened, Jimin? Why did you do it?”

Jimin looked down on the sheets, feeling small. He knew. He could feel the disappointment in his hyung’s voice. And really, he could not blame him for it, because even he was disappointed in his self.

Yoongi patiently waited for Jimin to respond, but panic bubbled in him when he saw the younger’s shoulder starting to shake.

He knew how sensitive Jimin could get. He knew should have approached him with a little more caution.

“I-I’m sorry, hyung.” Jimin sobbed, fisting the sheets which were already starting to get wet from his tears. “I-It’s just that…I needed money a-at that time… my dad… he’s sick…”

“Then why didn’t you come to me for help?” Yoongi asked, feeling sorry for the younger. “You knew I would gladly help, right?”

“But I want to work for it, hyung!” Jimin protested. He was aware of his attitude issue, and he knew Yoongi was, too. Jimin wanted to be as tough as he could be, so as much as possible, he avoided asking people for help, opting to solve his problems alone by working on them.

He did not like asking others for help, fearing that they would look at him as a bother.

“I’d help you and your parents, Jimin.” Yoongi tenderly said, patting the younger’s head. “So just stop this, okay? I know you don’t like it either.”

“B-But…” Jimin said, shaking his head and sniffling. “I already received money from CEO Jeon. I can’t just back out.”

“I’ll pay the money.”

“No, hyung.” Jimin protested, wiping his tears with the back of his hand. “I won’t let you.”

He then looked at his hyung in the eyes, determination in his face. “At this point, I only have my honor left. I’ll keep my part of the bargain.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys!!! So here's another chapter. And I am so sorry for keeping you guys waiting for so long only to give you a shitty chapter like this one. I haven't been in the best moods for writing lately, and I really, like really struggled with writing this chapter for I don't know what reasons. I really am sorry for this T_T
> 
> So... I hope you don't hate this chapter as much as I do. :(

 

“Can’t you just… wait for a while?” Jimin mumbled against his phone as he scrambled to get into his jeans—the ones that he loved wearing when he wanted a balance between comfort and style. He cursed under his breath when he lost his balance. Thankfully he was right beside his bed.

“What’s taking you so long?!” He heard his companion for the day scream from the other side of the line. “I’m like… two minutes away from the mall!”

“Sorry, okay! Sorry!” Jimin apologized. “Sorry for being late and—wait… I’m not yet late!” The vertically-challenged man said the moment he saw the small clock on his bedside table reading 9:30 in the morning.

“Yes you are!”

“No, Tae, I am not!” Jimin answered. “We agreed to meet at ten! It’s just 9:30!”

“But I’m already here!” The other countered. Jimin briefly let go of his phone in favor of putting on the plain black shirt he prepared.

“Sorry, what were you saying?” Jimin asked again when he was finally in the clothing. “I just… put on a shirt.”

“I said,” Taehyung repeated, taking a loud inhale before resuming. “I am already in the mall, and you aren’t here yet, and it’s like half an hour before ten, and I am already bored!”

“Again, not my fault.” Jimin retorted rather calmly, in contrast with the other’s clearly agitated tone. “It isn’t my fault you are apparently too excited to meet me to wait.”

There was a short moment of silence in the line before a cute little whine was heard through Jimin’s phone, making the said man smile.

“Okay then…” Taehyung mumbled. Jimin could only imagine the pout probably gracing the other’s lips. “I’ll just wait for you in the car.”

“Nah… your choice. It will take some time before I get there, though.” Jimin replied. “I’m quite far from the mall, you know.”

“Yeah… I’ll just… sleep here or something.” The other said.

“Keep your car AC open, okay?” Jimin reminded him. “I don’t want to meet a dead Taehyung.”

Jimin heard a few muffled clicking sounds, probably from Taehyung settling into his seat, before he heard a response. “Yeah, I will.”

“Okay, see you later!”

Jimin smiled before hanging up and putting his phone down. He then went over to the only mirror he had in his tiny apartment and scanned his own appearance. His smile grew even bigger.

That Friday, Taehyung decided to invite Jimin to go out and hand out with him in the mall. The latter was very hesitant about it, though, because hanging out just meant unnecessary spending for him. He already had his weekend planned—wake up late to skip breakfast, laze around with his phone until lunch time, and then exercise before a dinner with instant noodles. It was his ideal weekend. A weekend without stress, and without too much spending.

But then Taehyung pouted at him the whole while, even to the point of sulking and throwing a tantrum like a child. In the office.

Basically, Jimin was pressured into saying yes.

The other invited him out around lunch time, so Jimin just stuffed enough money for lunch and some emergency cash in his wallet. He had this tendency to overspend when he carried large amounts of money, and given the circumstances he and his family are in, overspending was clearly the last thing he would want to do.

After making sure that everything was already turned off and unplugged, the designer went out of his apartment and started walking—yes, walking—to their meeting place.

While walking, Jimin took the time to call his parents in Busan to ask how they were doing. He could not help but smile softly at the stress-free voice of his mother, who told him that they were already chilling in their house and just watching the television.

His father, too, sounded a lot better than how Jimin had imagined he would sound after his attack. The man still sounded tired, sure, but despite the occasional times that the old man had to stop talking to catch his breath, Jimin could still tell that he was happy and well.

After the call, Jimin only plugged his earphones in and listened to his favorite walking playlist. It was a pleasant weekend, one where the streets were not totally filled with cars. Even though the sun was up and it was hot, with the help of Jimin’s trusty umbrella, the long walk to the mall seemed more enjoyable.

It took some time, but Jimin eventually arrived at the mall. He was not familiar with Taehyung’s car, so once he was there, he had a brief moment of loss. He was about to dial the other’s number on his phone so he could ask him his whereabouts when the familiar deep voice called to him.

“Jiminie!” Taehyung screamed, waving at the other and smiling his signature boxy smile. The gesture made Jimin feel so much better.

“Hi, Tae!” Jimin answered, walking towards the taller, who was already in the process of leaving his vehicle. “Sorry to keep you waiting. Though it really isn’t my fault.”

“Yeah, yeah, I forgive you.” Taehyung waved him off good-naturedly. “I was just expecting some heavy traffic, so I left home a lot earlier than actually needed. I’m surprised there weren’t many cars out on the streets!”

“Actually I was also surprised. Like… in a good way.” The shorted retorted. “It’s nice walking.”

“You walked?”

“Yeah, I’m not that far from here, to be honest.” Jimin answered. “Saving a few bills by not taking the cab.”

“Oh… I see.” Taehyung nodded in understanding. “I couldn’t do that. I live a little bit farther from here. Do you know Pink Princess?” He asked the other. He failed to notice the effect the company name had on Jimin. “I live a little closer there.”

“O-Oh… yeah. I haven’t gone to that place yet, but I think I know it.” Jimin, a little bit nervous, replied. “Oh! What are doing today, anyway?”

“Oh! Oh! I already made a list!” Taehyung excitedly said, jumping around as the two of them approached the entrance to the mall.

And then he started listing—actually listing—the things that he had planned for the day. Of course there was lunch. But even before that, he already planned on trying out a milk tea shop and a burger shop. He also ranted on being unable to choose between two movies, and then proposed that they watch both.

“And then, after that, we can go to the arcade and then eat some ice cream. And then wander around window shopping.” Taehyung said, clapping. “And when we’re tired, we end the day with legit ramen!”

“Uhm…” Jimin tentatively said, suddenly ashamed. He did not want to drag Taehyung into not “having fun” just because he was broke. “That many? I mean… I thought we’re just gonna eat lunch and then walk around and talk… or something like… I don’t know but that’s what I thought when you said we’d ‘hang out’ today… I didn’t bring that much money with me, actually.”

“Nah, don’t worry about money thingy.” Taehyung answered as the two of them briefly separated to get checked by the security individually. “Today’s my treat, so don’t worry.”

“Really?” Jimin asked, baffled. “You don’t have to…”

“It’s fine!” The taller said. “I was planning on treating you today, anyway.”

Jimin fell silent after the other’s statement. He really did not think Taehyung would treat him for the day. And just by thinking of all the things that he listed a while ago, it would cost him a fortune.

“I’ll just pay you back in the future or something.” Jimin said, not feeling comfortable. “I’m just… not used to this whole… treat thing.”

“Jiminie,” Taehyung called his attention. “You really don’t have to.”

“But I want to.” The shorter insisted.

“Okay, okay.” Taehyung sighed, giving up. In the short time that he had known the other, he already knew that arguing with Jimin was most of the time pointless. “It’s your choice. But promise me you won’t pressure yourself into paying me, okay? Don’t skip meals just to pay me! I’ll kill you!”

Jimin took a look at his friend, and smiled at the sincerity in Kim Taehyung’s face despite his playful words. “Yes, I promise.”

“Okay then, it’s settled!” Taehyung clapped happily. “Don’t worry anymore! I brought lots of money and cards for this, so just enjoy, okay?!”

“Okay.”

“Good.”

“I don’t get it though.” Jimin said, voicing his confusion out loud. “Like… we’re basically of the same rank in the company. We should have the same salaries.” He stopped, remembering that after his deal with Jungkook, his salary was already probably twice Taehyung’s.

He suddenly felt bad. It was not fair.

And yet here he was, about to be treated to an awesome hang out day by the same Taehyung.

“Oh, you don’t what you’re talking ‘bout.” Taehyung slurred in English, pulling a laugh from the other. He watched as Jimin gave him a quizzical look, confused as to what Taehyung meant.

“Sidelines.”

“Oh…” Jimin said, enlightened. “I see.”

“And besides,” Taehyung continued as they approached this first destination, a newly-opened milk tea shop. “I’m not supporting anyone.”

His statement made Jimin’s usually narrow eyes widen. He knew the other would be surprised to know that he actually knew.

“I found out from Yoongi-hyung.” Taehyung explained.

“Ah… that rascal…”

“Yah, don’t kill him, okay?” Taehyung said, trying to calm Jimin, who was sporting a murderous look on his face. “He told me only because I begged him.”

“No, no!” Jimin clarified, waving his hands in front of him for emphasis. “It’s okay, it’s no big deal.”

“Then what with the ‘rascal’?” Taehyung asked.

“It’s just an expression!” The shorter guy expounded. Taehyung then agreed with him as he led Jimin into their first stop, the new milk tea shop.

The place was not as crowded as Jimin thought it would be. Since the place was just new, he was expecting a little bit more customers. He guessed the brand was not a known one.

Not that he was complaining, thought. At least Taehyung and he got a seat.

“Brand isn’t that famous, is it?” Jimin asked the taller when they settled into one of the three free seats.

“Nah, it isn’t.” Taehyung responded, smiling. “But I know this brand. It isn’t that new as a brand, but this is a new branch. I haven’t tasted their milk tea in ages, so… here.”

The shorter just nodded in understanding before he let Taehyung get his order and leave to buy them at the counter, while he remained seated to watch over their belongings and take in the vibe of the place.

In all honesty, Jimin liked the new shop. He loved that they were using yellowish bulbs for lighting and did not go for the modern white florescent light. It was something Jimin had always favored, even in his designs. He low key hated using plain white light to illuminate a place.

And the walls, too, were great. The off-white color of the paint matched well with the scarlet accents that followed the theme of the brand’s logo. The tables were of the same colors, too, but with the scarlet color dominating over the off-white patterns. He just had an issue with the irregular shape of some of the tables, but overall, it was nice. Modern look with a quaint vibe to it.

“They’ll just call us when the teas are done.” Taehyung’s voice interrupted Jimin’s judgement of the place as he reclaimed the seat opposite the shorter’s. “I feel like they’re nice drinks. I really love pudding in milk teas.”

“Yeah, I like pudding, too, but I love pearls better.” The designer commented, nodding wisely. “I feel fuller when pearls are used.”

“Ooohh… that is nice, too.” Taehyung bobbed his head in agreement. He was about to mention more things about milk tea add-ons when his name was called by the person behind the counter, prompting him to stand up once again to claim his and Jimin’s drinks.

When he came back, he already forgot what he was about to say.

Once Taehyung had given his companion his drink, the two of them proceeded to trying out their orders and judging them. As if it was an automatic, mutually-understood thing, they then proceeded to exchanging cups so they could try out the other’s drink. Only after that did they went on commenting and sharing their thoughts on the beverages they ordered.

“Tae,” Jimin called the other’s attention when the two of them fell silent again after the initial phase of their milk tea tasting. “You know about my family’s situation, right?”

“Yeah, from Yoongi-hyung.” Taehyung affirmed upon swallowing the milk tea in his mouth. “Why’d you ask?”

“I was just wondering if…” Jimin paused, trying to phrase his question a little bit better in his head. “If… you know… maybe you’re doing this whole… treat thing because of that?”

Once the question was asked, Taehyung tilted his head to the side and sent a blank expression to his friend. He tried to think of the motive behind the Jimin’s question, and once he did think of something, he had the urge to clarify his intentions to him.

“Well… yeah.” Taehyung answered, nodding. “But not because I pity you or something. I know you hate being pitied. It’s just that… when I look at you sometimes I feel like you’re beyond stressed. Like you’re carrying a world on your shoulders. I just wanted to… give you a break or something.”

He then smiled at Jimin, a smile that made him feel nice. Appreciated. Actually loved.

The boy from Busan could not help but smile widely at the sincerity of his friend.

“Aww… thanks, Tae, I really appreciate this.” He said. “Oh, anyway, what do you think of Yoongi-hyung?” He continued to ask about a different topic, wanting to change the mood and also to get some updates on their relationship.

“Oh, yeah, he’s really nice, actually.” Taehyung answered, taking a sip of his tea. “I really didn’t think he’d be the talkative type. I was even scared of him when we first met on your first day at work.”

“Oh, trust me, his isn’t usually that talkative. Do you guys talk a lot?”

“Well, yeah.” The taller nodded. “Aside from the surprise visits in the office, we also talk a lot online.”

“Oohh… that’s interesting.” Jimin retorted, grinning to himself. “Oh, did he tell you already?”

“That what?” Taehyung asked. “That he’s your ex?”

“Yeah?”

“Yup.” The taller answered with a popping sound at the end. “You guys are surprisingly close even though you had a thing in the past.”

“Yeah, I’m a bit surprised, too.” Jimin answered. “We ended on good terms and the decision to break up was mutual. I guess it’s because of that.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Taehyung said. The two of them fell silent afterwards, choosing to concentrate more on drinking their ordered teas. Jimin figured that he never really asked the other straightforwardly about his orientation, and knowing Yoongi, he thought that the pale man have not, either.

“TaeTae.” Jimin once again called the attention of the other, prompting him to look up from his stare at the pudding he was trying to poke with his straw. “Can I ask you something?”

“Yeah, sure!” Taehyung answered enthusiastically.

“Uhm… are you… perhaps…” Jimin dragged on, trying to find a way to say his question in a nicer, less invasive way. “Straight?”

“Straight?” Taehyung repeated the question, pulling a fast nod from the shorter. “As in like… hetero kind of straight?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, no.” Taehyung answered quite proudly, smiling widely at his friend. “Why? Are you asking me out?”

“Me?! No!” Jimin immediately answered, backing off a little bit. Judging by the look on Taehyung’s face, he was clearly just messing around. “You’re attractive and all, but I just see you as a very close friend.”

“Yeah, I figured you’ll say that.” The taller responded, chuckling. “Not that you’re ugly or something, but I wouldn’t date you as well, you know. You have this… buddy thing going on around you.”

“Yeah, that’s nice to know.” Jimin replied, referring to both the fact that Taehyung was not straight—so that meant his hyung had a chance—and that he did not look at Jimin in a romantic way.

“Oh! Oh!, Me! I have a question for you!” Taehyung suddenly exclaimed, a little too loudly for Jimin’s preference, since the act attracted some unnecessary attention from the other customers in the shop. “What is really going on with you and the boss?”

The instant the question registered in Jimin’s brain, his heart picked up its pace. There was that question again—the actual cause of his recent stresses in life. He found it ironic, how Taehyung wanted to hang out with him to alleviate some of his stress, but ended up bringing up the source of his dilemma.

It really was not about his father’s condition anymore. It was more due to his moral obligation to not deceive a nice person for monetary purposes.

And also, another thing that stressed him out was the fact that despite all the pressure, he was forced to keep everything to himself. That despite his friends—Taehyung and Yoongi, namely—wanting to help him out, he could not receive them, since he had a deal with Jungkook.

“Yah, Jiminie, answer me!” Taehyung said, waving a hand in front of the other male who did not notice that he was already taking too long to answer.

“Uhm… sorry, Tae.” Jimin apologized, choosing to stare at his drink rather than look at his friend in the eye. “I really can’t tell anyone… I had a deal with Sir Jeon…”

“But…” Taehyung protested, pouting. “I won’t tell anyone! I swear!”

“I’m really sorry.” Jimin shook his head, still not yielding to his friend. “If only I could tell you, I would. But I… I just can’t.”

Hearing his friend’s answer made Taehyung let out a sigh, exaggerating his disappointed, sad expression, complete with a massive pout. On any other occasion, Jimin would have already laughed at the taller’s expression, or smiled at least. But given the circumstances, it was almost inappropriate to do so.

But Jimin did not want to make things awkward, so he just gave Taehyung the best smile he could muster at the moment.

“I really am sorry, Tae.”

 

 

Once their drinks were done, the two made their way out of the milk tea shop and into the halls of the mall, exploring. Jimin and Taehyung talked about different things as they traversed the place, stopping by different shops that the latter wanted to visit either to eat food or to buy things.

There was the topic of background. They were still yet to fully know each other’s life story, so they took the time to ask each other questions about the other. Taehyung learned that Jimin graduated a little bit later than intended because he had to take less subjects so he could work part-time, and that his orientation was not accepted by his parents at first. On the other hand, Jimin found out that Taehyung was from a well-off family, that he was actually the son of two doctors and that he had an older brother who was already living on his own.

They also talked about their office. Jimin wanted to know more stories about the company before he got hired, so the taller indulged him with all the stories and rumors that he had accumulated throughout his stay in Wings. They spent a large amount of time talking about Jimin’s other seatmates, Wonwoo and Mingyu, and theorizing about them. Especially about that one time Jimin and Taehyung witnessed Wonwoo’s weird unexpected mood swing.

But of course, the slightly younger man did not completely forget the thing that intrigued him the most.

Every now and then Taehyung still tried to pry details about what he was doing with Jungkook from Jimin. But to his dismay, the shorter’s response was the same every single time.

And every single time he had to hide the truth from his thoughtful friend, Jimin’s guilt only increased. It was getting increasingly harder for him to hide the pained expression that threatened to appear on his face every time Taehyung brought the topic up.

An hour after lunch, the two arrived at the open area at the back of the mall, which was exposed to the air outside and had benches surrounding a dancing water fountain the establishment kept open all day long, just without the colorful lighting during the day. The numerous trees adorning the place kept the heat of the sun off the seats, so that even though it was noon, hanging out there was not a problem. There were also kiosks offering varying types of food surrounding the perimeter.

The place was actually more like a food park, but it was still part of the mall.

“Yah, Jiminie.” Taehyung said to the other male, calling his attention. “Can you stay here for a while? I have to pee.”

“I’ll just come with you then.”

“No, don’t!” The taller refused, already starting to leave Jimin. “Save that spot for us!”

Jimin, who was just about to stand up from their bench, just nodded as a response as he settled into the seat again. He only watched the younger’s back as he trudged back into the mall. Once he was out of sight, Jimin closed his eyes, and sighed, willing the heavy feeling in his chest to go away. The bright and happy ambiance of his surroundings helped a little bit with his feelings, but it was not enough.

And as if the universe was conspiring against him, Jimin’s eye widened when he heard a familiar voice calling his attention.

“Oh, Jimin!” The high-pitched voice called to him, with the owner rushing to his side and sending him a smile. “What are you doing here?”

“J-Jin-hyung!” Jimin stuttered out, trying to ignore the way his heart started beating erratically in nervousness. He returned the smile with one of his own, hoping that the gesture did not look weird.

“I didn’t expect to see you here.” Seokjin continued, laughing a bit. “Are you alone?”

“N-No.” The shorter awkwardly answered, suddenly remembering that he came to the mall with Taehyung. He quickly scanned the general direction of the entrance to the mall to check if the eccentric friend was already coming back. To his relief, he was still out of sight.

“With Jungkook, then?” Seokjin asked again, a teasing smirk gracing his lips.

“N-No, hyung.” Jimin answered, shaking his head. “I came with a friend. J-Just hanging out, yeah. He just… went to use the CR.”

“Oh, I see…” The older trailed off. There was a brief moment of silence between the two before the broad-shouldered man asked again. “How are you and Jungkook doing?”

“We-We’re fine! Yes…” Jimin responded, aware that he did not sound natural at all. But he could not control it—he was taken by surprise. Had he actually prepared for Seokjin’s arrival, their meeting would have been so much better. “Uhm… Jungkookie is busy, actually, but nothing out of the ordinary.”

“Yeah, I figured he must be busy if you’re not out with him.” The other answered.

Jimin’s phone then released a sound, alerting him that a message had just arrived. He quickly excused himself from the older before he fished his phone out of his pocket and reading the text.

 

> _From: Taehyungie_
> 
> _Jiminie! I won’t be back for a while since there’s this ice cream shop… And I really want a cup, but there the queue is too long…_
> 
> _But then again I want a cup. So I will buy._
> 
>  

Reading the text made Jimin chuckle a bit as relief washed over him. At least he did not have to worry about that other meeting Seokjin anymore.

“Who is that? Is that Jungkook?” Seokjin asked when he heard the younger laugh.

“Ah, no, no, it’s my friend.” Jimin answered. “He just went to use the CR but now he’s texting me he got distracted by ice cream.”

“Ah… that’s… different.” Seokjin remarked, pulling another laugh from the shorter male.

“Yeah… he’s a bit unique.” The designer said. “He’s name is Kim Taehyung. He’s actually my officemate, and he’s really… different.” He continued, still smiling at the thought of their subject.

“Kim Taehyung?” The older asked, to which Jimin just nodded. “Sounds like a fun person.”

“Oh, trust me, he is.”

After his response, Jimin released another sigh that helped in relieving some of the tension he could feel in his throat. What was supposed to be a stress-relief activity for him was quickly turning into another stressful day. Again, courtesy of his deal with Jeon Jungkook.

“Ah… I still could not believe that your love story with Jungkook is almost the same as mine.” Seokjin started, staring off at the distance. “It’s like… like you guys are the good side of the story. Sucks mine had a different ending.”

“Yeah… even Jungkook and I were surprised, actually.” Jimin replied. “But don’t be sad about it. Maybe our stories had the same start, but… but maybe you and your first love would still have your happily ever after, but through a different way. It’d be boring if our stories go exactly the same!”

“Yeah, it would be.” Seokjin nodded. “Have I said it before? That you and Jungkook look good together?”

And Jimin just gave the older a laugh as a response.

“But seriously, though. Invite me to your wedding with him, okay? I want to receive an invitation to the Park Jimin and Jeon Jungkook wedding in the future, okay?”

“Yah, hyung, you’re thinking too far into the future!” Jimin retorted, feeling slight warm at the older’s words. It really was embarrassing to talk about wedding plans, even though him and Jungkook weren’t real.

“Oh come on, it’s gonna happen anyway. Promise me you’ll invite me, okay?” Seokjin insisted, smiling. The younger just laughed in return before he nodded.

“Okay, I will.”

Jimin was not even done with his response when another sound of a phone floated in the air, and this time, it was from Seokjin’s phone. After reading the message, Seokjin motioned to leave.

“Anyway, my friend just arrived.” Seokjin said, excusing himself from the conversation they were having. “I will have to go now. It’s nice meeting you here again.”

“Yeah, yeah, it really was fun talking to you again.” Jimin replied genuinely. Honestly speaking, Seokjin was great company. Too bad Jimin was in a bad situation.

And just like that, Seokjin left Jimin alone again.

Well, not really alone.

“Jiminie.” A deep, booming voice surprised Jimin once Seokjin was out of earshot. Once the agitated male turned around to look at the source of the sound, he paled.

“T-TaeTae.”

“I heard everything.” Taehyung said, face devoid of any emotion. He was clutching a cup of ice cream in each hand, the surface of the cup dripping wet due to the dew forming on the cold surface. Jimin could not stop it anymore. His own tears started mirroring the condensate on the ice cream cups.

“Are you really…”

“I’m so sorry, Tae!” Jimin started sobbing, shocking Taehyung. He immediately set down the cups of ice cream he bought for the two of them down on the bench and pulled the shorter into an embrace.

“Hey, hey, don’t cry, please!” Taehyung tried to coo the other into calming down. He frowned when he noticed Jimin visibly shaking. “Yah, yah, Jimin, calm down.”

“I’m… I’m sorry, Tae!” Jimin kept repeating his apology. He was torn, so torn between telling his best friend the truth and lying to him. He kept of letting out cries of apology to the younger.

But more than the fact that he had been hiding details from his friend for too long, what made him want to apologize more was the fact that he was about to deceive him, too, just like what he was doing with Seokjin.

“J-Jungkook and I…” Jimin mumbled, struggling. He just could not find it in himself to do it, but he knew he had to. A deal was a deal. Yoongi only knew because he actually knew about the whole setup even before Jimin admitted the truth to him.

“Jungkook and I…” Jimin repeated. He swallowed the lump in his throat and quickly sniffled before continuing.

“We’re dating.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi readers!!! I'm so sorry for the very late update. And I would like to say sorry in advanced for a few reasons. One, I won't be able to update for the next... what? Three weeks? I will be leaving the city soon to go back to my province, and we do not have internet there. The next update will probably come in early August. 
> 
> Secondly, this chapter... I am not happy about it. It sounded better in my mind than it does in words. I just wish you would like it.
> 
> Okay, I won't bother you anymore ahahaha here's the next chapter!

It was so much better this way.

Just Jimin and his office desktop, doing the usual office jobs that usual office workers should be doing. Some people might despise seeing many assignments in their inbox, but not the ’95 liner designer. In his opinion, doing the boring assignments in the office was way better than having to pretend—no, deceive other people.

And yeah, even though he could admit that usual office tasks were so, so menial, he still liked it more.

Jimin could not help but let out a sigh, missing the things that he used to do back when he was still a student. When he decided on what he was going to do for a living, he thought that his job would involve him making designs and handling people to achieve a certain look for an event. But it was none of that sort.

“Aaaand… done!” A loud voice suddenly penetrated Jimin’s thoughts. It was soon followed by collective sighs, sounds of chairs rolling on top of the tiled floor, and conversations that he could not care to understand.

“See you tomorrow, guys!” He heard one of his officemates said to her friends before hurrying out of the place. It seemed like she was running late for something. Maybe it was a date.

“Hey, Jiminie.” Said male turned around to face the grinning face of Kim Taehyung. “What are you doing tonight?”

“Hmmm… don’t know.” Jimin answered, shrugging. “Just going home to rest, I guess.”

“Oh, I see.” Taehyung said. “I’ll be leaving, then. Rest well, okay?”

“Yeah, see you tomorrow.”

Once Taehyung was out, Jimin proceeded to fixing his own things and tidying up his own place before leaving. A small smile danced on his lips as he continued to move containers and folders back into their original positions. As he was doing so, his other neighbors started hollering it up again as they started leaving their respective cubicles.

The short male turned around just in time to see Wonwoo and Mingyu running out of the office, with the latter leading, and seemingly running away from the former, both with smiles on their faces.

They looked so carefree and just… happy, Jimin could not help but let his own small smile grow wider. At least people had it easier than him.

Letting out a tired sigh, Jimin gave his desk another once over before he stood up and left the Wings Company building and went out to the cold, city air of night time Seoul. Plugging in his earphones, he leisurely walked back to his apartment, momentarily willing for his thoughts to just disappear and be replaced by the soft tunes of the music he was listening to.

It took some time, especially since he really took his time walking, but Jimin eventually reached his place. Another tired sigh left the struggling designer’s mouth once he opened the door of his tiny abode, still not used to coming home to no one.

The place was still empty. As always.

Not like he was expecting it to not be empty, because really, that would have been a lot scarier. Even though the apartment did not have much in it, Jimin still would rather be alone than be visited by burglars.

He went over to the solo couch—the only resting place in the tiny place aside from the bed—and turned on the small television he had bought from the surplus store. It was bulky, being among those old models with a large conical tube at the back, but it sufficed.

And just like that, tired Jimin relaxed his body and simply watched the night news. It was his way of connecting to the world and exposing himself to something a little different from his current life, which if not around the boring paper works in the office, revolved around his grand setup with Jungkook.

It did not take long before he became hungry. The night was still young, and Jimin felt light. Light enough to be in the mood for something different aside from the usual ramen he ate at the nearby budget fast food.

So, taking his wallet and phone with him, Jimin walked out of his apartment and into the busy streets of the city. He then proceeded to walking leisurely, taking in the surroundings and taking note of the different shops and places that he might need to visit in the future.

After about thirty minutes of walking, the designer arrived at a park which, despite the time being already too late for park visits, still had occupants. A lot were jogging. It made Jimin miss the old days of him having time to take care of his body.

Back when he was still studying, and was stressed by all the work in school, he could not wait to be an adult. He could not wait to be in charge of his own life, But now… he could not help but wish he could turn back time and enjoy being young more.

He missed having more school requirements, but having less responsibilities.

“Jimin?!” A familiar voice snapped Jimin back from his train of thoughts, making him turn his head to look for the source of the voice. The instant he realized who it was, his heart started beating a lot faster.

“Oh my god, Jimin!” Seokjin continued shouting, this time going out of the track for joggers to meet the smaller. “Nice to see you here!”

“O-Oh, Jin-hyung!” Jimin awkwardly answered, forcing himself to smile. “Y-You jog?”

“Yeah, to relieve some work-induced stress.” The older replied. “What brings you here? And where’s your bunny boyfriend?”

“B-Bunny boyfriend?” Jimin stuttered at the mention of the younger. He really did not know how to answer Seokjin’s question because he did not meet Jungkook the whole day. He could not even laugh at the nickname the broad shouldered male gave the younger CEO.

“Uhm… h-he’s still in the office.” Jimin nodded, trying to sound as convincing as he could. “He said he’s too busy to go anywhere else today. Poor Jungkookie.”

“Oh… I see.” Seokjin answered. “Then why is he there?”

“W-What?”

“I see Jungkook, like, right now.”

If Jimin’s heart could actually run, it would already be sprinting in the park along with the other joggers. He fucked up, he knew. He fucked up real bad.

“H-Huh?” He said, conjuring a confused face and putting it on before turning on his heels to look at the direction the older was facing. And true enough, there was Jungkook, walking out of a bakery with a paper bag in his hand, already heading to his car which was parked just outside the establishment.

“Oh god… turn around, Jungkook.” Jimin mumbled to himself, staying rooted on the spot he was on. And as if the younger heard him, Jungkook spared their general direction a glance.

It was laughable, how Jungkook’s doe eyes grew even bigger when he recognized the two faces around thirty meters from him. He was most certainly not expecting to meet the two. And judging by the distressed look on his fake boyfriend’s face, he could say that Jimin was not expecting it either.

“Oh god, he’s gonna screw this up.” Jungkook mumbled under his breath. Cursing once and gathering enough courage to again, act as a gay, Jungkook gave the two, who were still looking at him, a shy smile.

He then proceeded to walking to their direction, still keeping the shy act up, even adding a rub at the back of his head to make the scene more believable.

Jimin was still dumbfounded when the younger reached their location, brain still muddy with the turn of events.

“Hey, Jin-hyung, nice to meet you.” Jungkook greeted the older, stealing glances at the shortest of the three.

“Same here, Jungkook.” Seokjin answered. “But anyway, why are you here when Jimin said you’re in your office?”

“Uhm… yeah.” Jungkook nodded, taking a look at the designer just in time to see Jimin’s Adam’s apple bob up and down. So that was why he looked so agitated.

Quickly wracking his brain for an excuse, Jungkook smiled another shy smile and put up the embarrassed façade once again.

“Ahh… you guys caught me…”

Jimin sent him an even more confused look, because really, he was not understanding anything. “What?”

“I really wasn’t expecting Jiminie-hyung to be here…” Jungkook continued. He then turned to the other and said, “I thought you said you’d head straight to your place?”

“B-But…” Jimin stuttered, finally getting what was going on, but still struggling to keep up. “Uhm… yeah. I did. But I got, hungry, so I went here.”

“Yeah… I was actually planning on… going to yours.” Jungkook said, nodding. He then raised the paper bag he carried out of the bakery, and showed them to Jimin. “I was planning on surprising you and maybe asking you out for dinner, but yeah… guess no more surprise.”

He then ended his lie with a genuinely embarrassed life, because even to his own ears, his words were too cheesy. It was almost disgusting.

“But you said you’re too busy.” Jimin pouted, catching on. He knew Jungkook was lying, and honestly, the younger was not too bad at it. He just had to add more acting skills.

Jungkook looked around, and started kicking the ground with his leather shoes. “Well… yeah. But I saw your disappointed face earlier. It was hard to ignore, you know.”

“Aww… you guys are too sweet!” Seokjin suddenly interjected, clasping his hands and smiling. “So, you guys haven’t had dinner yet? Do you want to come to my place for dinner?”

“Uhm… hyung?” Jungkook asked, looking at Jimin, who was busily fumbling with his pocket. After a few moments, he finally looked up with his phone in his hand, and smiled at Jungkook.

“It’s fine to me. Are you sure you wanna go? I thought you’re busy?”

“There’s always tomorrow for work!” Seokjin commented, trying to convince the two to say yes. “And I’m quite proud of my cooking, so I’d really like you guys to come over.”

“Yeah, it’s fine.” Jungkook answered. He then turned to the oldest of the three before asking, “Are we leaving?”

“Oh, yeah! Just follow my car.” Seokjin affirmed. The three of them then walked back to their respective cars, with Jimin going with Jungkook.

Once inside the car and on the road, safe from anyone else’s ears, Jimin finally let out a relieved sigh, happy that he was able to survive an otherwise disaster.

“Yah, what was that about?” Jimin asked the younger, who was focused on driving. “That was close, you know.”

“What?” Jungkook replied. “I just… got hungry, so I went to get some strawberry muffin from the bakery.”

“Yeah, yeah, what a nice timing.” Jimin continued ranting. “Do you know how much it stressed me to lie to a person as nice as Jin-hyung? And you’re not making it any better by appearing at the most inconvenient of times!”

“It’s not as if I know!” Jungkook defended himself. “But yeah… sorry.”

Upon hearing Jungkook’s apology, the older’s irritated expression fell and was replaced by confusion, and then amusement.

“Yah, what is this? You’re being nice again.”

“I was always nice, you know.” The younger answered. “So yeah. Sorry. For this. And the… last time.”

“Last time?” Jimin asked, getting more confused at Jungkook’s words. At first, he could not remember what it was that the younger did that deserved apologizing for. But after a few moments of silence, the designer finally recalled their last encounter in the younger’s office.

He actually already forgot about that confrontation. He did not hold any grudge towards Jungkook for it.

“Nah… it’s fine.” Jimin finally answered. “I actually already forgot about it. I’m surprised you remembered.”

“It was kind of rude for me to say those words, really.” Jungkook admitted, his eyes still glued to the road ahead. Silence took over the car after his words, and was only broken by Jimin’s sound of confusion.

“Yah, you’re being weird again.”

“What’s weird with being a decent person who can say sorry?”

“Well, it’s so not like you.” Jimin answered, chuckling a bit. “Don’t do that too often. I might fall for you, you know.”

One, two, three seconds of silence floated in the car before Jimin broke it again with his own laughter.

“Just kidding!”

“Oh, you better be.” Jungkook answered, looking at the rear view mirror to take a look at the car overtaking them. “We had a deal about this, remember? And you’d only end up getting hurt. I would never like you back.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know, I know.” Jimin waved his hands and the younger, complete with a roll of his eyes. “As if I’d fall for you.”

Right after saying his response, the sound of a grumbling stomach coincided with the silence that followed, prompting the younger to laugh at Jimin.

“You hungry?”

“I wasn’t lying earlier when I said I was there to have dinner.” Jimin pouted, rubbing his stomach through his shirt. His eyes then drifted to the paper bag which may or may not contain a sweet treat, but decided to ignore the temptation. He did not want to ask the younger about them.

“You can have the muffins.” Jungkook suddenly said, quickly grabbing the paper bag and tossing it to the older. “If your stomach grumbles like that, it means you’re already too hungry.”

“Nah… I can wait.” Jimin answered, opting to focus on the light posts they passed as the younger continued to drive. “We’ll have dinner at Jin-hyung’s anyway.”

“It’ll take longer than you think.” The CEO answered. “Jin-hyung still has to cook once we get there, so just eat those for now.”

Jimin smiled. He then took the container and slowly opened it to take a look at its contents. And true enough, there they were.

Muffins. With strawberry filling oozing from the top.

“Well, if you insist.” Jimin chuckled before grabbing a muffin from the bag. He first smelled the bread, which was still slightly warm. What he got was worthy of the satisfied moan that left his lips.

“Ah… thanks.” The hungry designer said before taking a bite off the delicacy. Just as he had imagined, the good-smelling pastry tasted even better.

He was about to blurt out praises for the food when suddenly, another one of the grumbling sounds was heard in the car.

And it was considerably louder.

And this time, it was Jimin who laughed as Jungkook slightly turned red, embarrassed by how loud his stomach was.

“Y-Yah! Why are you laughing?!”

“Aww… you’re hungry, too, I see.” Jimin nodded to himself, still laughing. He then took the other muffin in the bag and held it towards the younger. “Eat.”

“I’m driving.” The younger replied. To his surprise, Jimin, instead of giving up, only nudged the muffin to his lips.

“Open up, then. Let me feed you so you could drive the two of us to safety.” Jimin smiled. He frowned at the younger’s lack of response, but instead of withdrawing, Jimin only stubbornly nudged the younger’s lips once again.

“Doesn’t it smell great?” Jimin said in hushed voice, imitating those voices used in food commercials. “Look at the strawberry filling… it’s glistening from all the strawberry goodness—”

“Okay, just shut up!” Jungkook suddenly cut in before taking a big bite off the snack. It made the older, once again, laugh.

“Good boy.”

 

 

“Wow…”

It was the first sound that left Jimin’s mouth the moment he stepped out of Jungkook’s car once they arrived at Seokjin’s place. His usually narrow eyes widened in amazement at the establishment before him.

Jungkook, on the other hand, shook his head at the elder’s surprise. He was already quite used to seeing homes as luxurious as the one before them. Though he had to admit, Seokjin’s was special.

“You should see my house in Busan.” Jungkook smiled to himself, holding his head up higher as confidence surged in him.

“Just… wow.” The designer continued to marvel, completely ignoring the younger’s boasting. It honestly irked Jungkook how Jimin did not pay attention to what he just said, but he decided to just let it go for now.

“Welcome to my… not-so-humble abode.” Seokjin chuckled, opening the front doors of his house for the two. He could not help but smile at the awestruck face the shorter of his guests was sporting. “Yah, Jimin, why are you so amazed?”

“Yeah, you look like you’ve seen a flying pig or something.” Jungkook seconded.

Without taking his eyes off the details of the place, Jimin answered, “I’ve been in really big houses before, but really, yours is amazing, Jin-hyung!” He then approached one of the pillars on either side of the doorway and examined the details on top of it. “Just… the architecture. It’s amazing.”

True enough, the house was more like a castle out of a fairy tale more than anything else. The pillars were ivory in color, and there were countless of them surrounding the main structure, some not even connected to anything, just placed on the garden in such a way that it did not look out of place or odd at all. The walls were complete with engraved lines that resemble bricks, and the crenellations on top just made the whole thing more awesome.

And to finish the whole castle look, vines trickled down the walls from what Jimin supposed was a rooftop garden.

“Well… thanks, then.” Seokjin replied, bowing slightly. “I really liked the setting of those old fairy tales that we grew up knowing, so I decided, since I could afford it anyway, to recreate that world here.”

“Wow… It’s awesome, hyung.” Jimin continued complimenting the place. “Is the theme like this inside, too?”

The CEO of Pink Princess simply raised his brow at the question, and smirked. “Well, see for yourself, then.”

And with that, the broad shouldered man turned his back to Jungkook and Jimin and walked into his house, prompting the two younger to follow his lead.

It turns out, stepping into the elder’s home was like taking a step into a different world.

Jimin was rendered speechless. And this time, even Jungkook had to admit, Seokjin’s house was on a completely different level. It was like a testament to just how successful he was.

“Make yourself at home.” The oldest of the three said. “I’ll just prepare dinner.”

“Yes, hyung.” Jimin answered, eyes still wandering the intricate interior design. He was like a child seeing a mall for the first time in his life—the resemblance made Seokjin chuckle a bit.

“I’ll just… look around.” Jungkook said to the older, motioning with his fingers towards the appliances in the bigger part of the living room which he supposed was the entertainment area.

“Go ahead!” Seokjin smiled before leaving the two to their own devices.

While Jungkook continued to saunter towards the gaming console and the sound system in the living room, his “boyfriend” was left by himself to inspect the furniture. They all looked very regal to his eyes—from the cover of the couches, to the carpet, to the book cases, the stands, the picture frames and paintings. He continued gawking at nearly everything in the living room until his eyes landed on the coffee table.

The table itself was beautiful, being made with wood covered in resin, with the middle part devoid of wood and only filled with even more resin that probably housed the light bulbs that gave the table the light shining from it. But what really caught Jimin’s attention were the papers on top.

They were concepts. For a design for some event.

“Ahh… designs.” Jimin mumbled to himself as he walked closer to take a better look. “Real flowers… Fake flowers… Too many flowers…”

“Yeah, I was trying to convince the boss to lessen the flowers, too. He just loved them so much.”

“Oh, so Jin-hyung wanted the flowers—Oh my god who are you?!” Jimin suddenly shrieked, sending the other person stumbling backwards at the sudden outburst.

“Oh my god you shocked me!” He cried, clutching his chest and making a face at the still-confused Jimin. He then took a couple of deep breaths before standing up straight again and smiling at the shorter. “Hi, I’m Jung Hoseok.”

“H-Hi…” Jimin trailed off, not really sure what to make of the situation. The man certainly looked friendly, with his bright smile and just overall nice aura. But still, Jimin did not know him.

But for the sake of courtesy, the young designer just smiled in return and introduced himself. To his surprise, instead of questioning his intentions, the stranger, who he learned was older than him and was really as nice as his smile made him look like, even invited him to take a seat and give some ideas.

Jimin was thrilled.

That was why Jungkook could not help the shocked look on his face when he came back just to see Jimin already laughing with someone who could rival even Jimin’s smile with his own.

“Oh… hi.” Jungkook awkwardly said, raising his right hand to wave at the two. This earned the two’s attention.

“Hi.” Hoseok replied, still smiling. “Are you… with Jiminie?”

“Jiminie?” Jungkook asked stupidly. Did his companion actually know the person?

Seeing the lack of answer from the younger as being tongue-tied due to panic, Jimin just chuckled, and answered the question. “Yeah, hyung. I came here with him.”

“Oh, so you’re a friend?” The long-faced man asked, to which Jungkook replied with a tentative nod. “Then, I’m Jung Hoseok, creatives and design department head of Pink Princess. Seokjin-hyung didn’t tell me he’d be having guests.”

“Oh… it was a… spontaneous thing.” Jimin answered. He then turned to the youngest person in the room and nodded at him, signaling him to snap out of whatever it was that got his tongue and introduce himself.

It took a few more moments than necessary, but Jungkook eventually came back to his senses, and proceeded to introducing himself. “Hi… I’m Jeon Jungkook, Wings’s CEO.”

“Oh! Oh! The famous one?!” Hoseok excitedly asked, his eyes wider than usual.

The baffled doe-eyed male did not know how to respond to that without sounding arrogant but without undermining his fame as well.

Lucky him, however, just like how it had always been when the two of them are out together, Jimin did the talking.

“Yep, that Jeon Jungkook.” Jimin answered. “And… sorry about how he’s acting. He isn’t all that social, as you can see.”

“Ohhh… I see.” Hoseok nodded in understanding. “He’s still young, after all.”

“Yeah.”

“It’s not like I’m twelve or something.” Jungkook mumbled under his breath in protest, a mumble the other two heard, causing them to laugh at him. “Yah!”

“Alright, alright, you’re not twelve.” The younger of the two designers said. “I’m fifteen, so you’re thirteen.”

“Yah!”

The three of them continued bantering at the expense of the youngest for some time, before they managed to drop the subject and calm down.

“Hoseok-ssi,” Jungkook called the older’s attention.

“It’s Hoseok-hyung.” The other countered, already feeling comfortable around the younger. “You’re nice.”

“O-Okay. Hoseok-hyung.” Jungkook corrected himself. “I’m sorry for bothering your work. Jimin-hyung just really like meddling with other people’s work.”

“Nope.” Said male protested.

“It’s okay, it’s okay.” The oldest of the three shrugged. “It’s nice, actually. He’s helping me by adding more ideas and correcting misplaced elements in the design. I’m quite surprised, actually. Jiminie managed to notice the errors even though this proposed design had already passed a couple of checks. He saw what was wrong when no one else in my department did.”

Jimin shyly smiled at the compliment, bowing his head down and putting his palms together and squeezing them between his thighs.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry I totally forgot to mention I had another visitor!” Seokjin’s voice suddenly sounded, prompting the three other people to turn their heads to see him already clad in house clothes and an apron. “Anyway, you guys seem to get along well, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Don’t worry, hyung. They’re in good hands.” Hoseok answered, holding up an “okay” sign to the older.

“I know. So… dinner’s about to be served!”

“Wow… that’s fast.” Jimin commented.

The broad-shouldered man smiled at him before turning around on his heels to go back to the kitchen. “Well, I already cooked dinner before I went out to jog. I just reheated it.”

And with that, Seokjin left them in favor of working with the dinner again. Hoseok, on the other hand, also went back to his work. And as he did so, Jimin could not help but watch him.

That was what he imagined when he decided on his career path. It made him wonder—when would he get to be a hands on designer, like Hoseok? Then again, he was just a newbie in the company. Maybe his seniors were already doing the work he wanted.

He will just have to wait, until then.

“You guys look cute together.” Hoseok suddenly said, his eyes leaving the papers to take a look at the two younger boys.

It took both Jungkook and Jimin by surprise, because really, neither recalled mentioning that they were an item.

“Uhmm…” Jungkook trailed off, once again unsure of how to respond to such compliments. His gesture made the older’s eyes go wide.

“Oh my god… are you not an item?” Hoseok asked, moving back a little in his seat.

“Well… we are.” Jimin answered. “Just that… did we mention that we were together?”

“Awww come on, guys. You don’t need to tell people that you’re together.” The other replied. “I mean… well, I’m quite good with reading people, you know. I’m not sure if others could see it, but I definitely can.”

“Oh…” The fake couple responded at the same time. They then turned towards each other in confusion, only to be met by the other’s shrug.

“See? You two are even in sync!” Hoseok shrieked, proud of his deduction. “Perfect match.”

“Thanks, I guess.” Jimin answered. He then once again spared the younger a look, only to see him already fumbling with the hem of his coat. He can see that his boss was already getting uncomfortable with the talk.

Jimin could not help but feel sorry for the guy, because it was not like he liked acting like he was gay.

“Hey, guys!” Seokjin’s shrill voice once again came. “Dinner’s ready!”

“Yes!” Hoseok happily jumped up from his seat and went over to the general direction of the mess hall.

“Yah, Jungkookie.” Jimin softly said, tapping the man’s shoulders. “Let’s go?”

“Oh… yeah, yeah, of course. I’m hungry already.” Jungkook answered, clearly still not in his usual mindset. He then started trudging behind the older, who led the way to the dining area.

Once settled on their seats, all four of them started eating the dinner the oldest made. Right after taking his first bite, Seokjin looked up from his bowl and watched the other three as they took in the flavors in the dishes.

Hoseok was the first one to speak up. “Omo… this is so good!”

“Yeah, it really is!” Jimin agreed, making the cook’s smile grow wider.

“It’s amazing, hyung.”

“Awww… thank you, guys!” Seokjin clapped, happy that his guests liked his cooking. “Cooking has always been my first passion.”

“It shows, hyung.” Jungkook complimented the older CEO again, smiling before taking another bite of the grilled pork. “Really, it’s like eating in a famous restaurant. Have you tried opening a restaurant?”

“Well… actually I was thinking of doing just that.” He answered.

The three then continued eating dinner, with Seokjin, being the host, formally introducing the two parties to each other along the way. He had introduced Hoseok as his “design and creatives department head” and his “longtime friend”, and also had mentioned that the two of them had decided to have a work night for their upcoming event in Pink Princess.

“Oh, is this for your anniversary?” Jungkook asked, recalling having seen the announcement when he was conducting some research on the company.

“Yes, it is.” Seokjin answered. “I really want it to be a big one. So Hoseok and I decided to directly intervene with the preparations.”

“Yeah, so directly Jin-hyung had so much say in the amount of flowers in the venue.” The senior designer jested. His boss scowled at him.

“It looks good like that!”

“But it just won’t work!” Hoseok countered, once again taking another bite from the crispy vegetables. “Even Jimin saw that!

“Well… n-not really.” Jimin said, waving his hands in defense. “T-That’s just my opinion. I just think having too much flowers would somehow… deformalize, the event? Like… I don’t even know. I just think flowers were meant for adding accents to a design. But I could be wrong.”

“See?”

And Seokjin pouted. Jimin almost felt bad for speaking up and siding with the other designer. “Well… that’s two designers already. Okay, fine. Let’s just see.”

 “Yes!” Hoseok rejoiced, pumping his fist in the air. “Oh my god Kim Seokjin finally relented!”

“Still though… if it’s such a bad idea, why’d no one else tell me?”

“Most of them were just ass-kissers trying to get to your good books, hyung.” Hoseok frankly answered, ignoring the scandalized look the older sent him due to his words. “You could’ve just listened to me, you know? As if I’d steer you to the wrong direction. It even took Jimin here to finally convince you.”

“Because you were the only one saying that it was wrong when everyone else tells me my idea was fine.” The older countered. “ And Jimin was quite convincing, you know.” Seokjin admitted. Then, all of a sudden, he perked up, like a literal lightbulb just lit above his head. “I know! I know! Jiminie,” He continued, facing the younger who looked at him nervously. “Do you want to work with us?”

“What?! Are you stealing him away from me?!” Jungkook protested, joining in the conversation for the first time since their introduction. “No.”

“No! No!” Seokjin clarified, borderline wanting to coo at the jealousy in the man’s eyes. “I meant for this project. Something like a collaboration. You seem like you could really help our team.”

“Hey, there’s nothing wrong with our team!”

“Shut up, Hoseok.”

“Well…” Jimin trailed off. “I’d really love to… but it isn’t a decision I could just make on my own.” He continued, turning his attention to the youngest in the room, asking for consent with his eyes.

“What?” Jungkook asked, raising his brow at the older. He then looked at Seokjin, who was looking at him expectantly. “But… why though?”

“Well… It was just a suggestion.” Seokjin shrugged. “I thought it would be great to have collaborations between our companies, but I could be wrong.”

Realization suddenly hit Jungkook once he heard the other CEO’s words. It was his goal to establish a connection with Pink Princess, anyway. Kim Seokjin was just making it easier for him.

“No! No! You’re not wrong!” Jungkook suddenly interjected, his doe eyes practically glowing with enthusiasm. “I mean… yeah, why not, right?”

“As I was saying.” Seokjin nodded, smiling. “So… let’s just contact each other about this some time, okay?”

“Of course, of course.” The boy nodded happily.

Jimin narrowed his eyes at the younger and watched him resume his eating with somewhat more energy than moments ago. It did not immediately strike him what happened, but when it did, he could not help but roll his eyes in slight irritation.

At least the happiness in his eyes was real. But damn was Jeon Jungkook so fake.

The dinner proceeded normally after the conversation, with small talks here and there about the food and office life in general. The fake couple did not forget to still perform their respective roles, showing off some skinship every now and then to keep the thing going.

Not too long after the dinner, the two younger boys had to go home. Hoseok was scheduled to stay the night at Seokjin’s, when it got a bit late, Jungkook had to excuse himself and Jimin, claiming that they still had a day to face.

Albeit reluctantly, Seokjin and Hoseok let them go, the latter taking an inordinately long time saying goodbye to Jimin, claiming that he felt like he was “sending his son away”. Yes, it was weird, because they literally just met that night and only knew each other for the past few hours.

But Jimin quickly figured out that the long-faced designer was just clingy like that. And he would not even deny, he liked it.

 

 

“Yah, hyung.” Jungkook was the first one to speak once they were out on the road and out of Seokjin place. “You did really great. You’re making the whole thing easier for us.”

“Aww thanks…” Jimin smiled, but was cut off when he suddenly hesitated on how to address the younger again, since they were once again alone. In the end, he stuck to the safer one. “Uhmm… sir.”

The CEO’s brows furrowed at that. Yes, he understood that he actually set the rule that they boss and employee when not around Seokjin, but it still irked him for some reason.

He decided to just push it aside for the moment.

“No, I should thank you for that. You’re doing the company a great service. Even though you really… don’t like doing this whole boyfriend thing.”

“We had a deal, after all.” Jimin answered, opting to look out the window instead of facing the younger. “I’m just keeping my part of the bargain.”

“Yeah…” Jungkook nodded in understanding. “Keeping your part.” He once again frowned. The thought did not sit right with him. It just felt… wrong. But instead on dealing on the thing, he decided to just change the topic and avoid thinking too much.

“Where do you live? I’ll drive you home.” Jungkook offered.

It took some time before the older answered, yawning before he did. The address slightly took Jungkook aback, since he had already heard of the place before, and he did not expect Jimin to live there.

His expensive luxury car was an uncommon sight at the vicinity of Jimin’s apartment complex, which held the reputation of despite being affordable, offered only a small room in exchange, perfect for people living alone in the city for the meantime.

“So… this is me.” Jimin chuckled, staring up at the slightly dilapidated old building. “Are you gonna go home, sir?”

“Huh?” Jungkook tilted his head to the side, still too caught up by his thoughts on the elder’s living conditions. “Ah… yeah, yeah, I’m going back home.”

“Take care then.”

“You live here?” Jungkook finally asked in curiosity. He slightly pitied the designer.

Jimin let out a short chuckle before asking in return, “What? Do you pity me?”

“W-What?! No!” The boss lied. “I was just… asking.”

“Yup, I live here.” The older answered, sighing. He then gave the younger a smile—one that surprised him more than anything, because really, how could someone admit they live in such a cramped place and still look proud?

“O-Okay, then.” Jungkook stuttered out. “Just… take care. Good night.”

“Yeah, you, too, drive carefully.” Jimin answered, smile still in his face. “Thanks for the lift.”

And with that, Jimi stepped out of the vehicle, and waved at the younger before heading inside. And as Jungkook drove away from the place, he still could not shake off the sadness that suddenly overtook him.

He suddenly felt sorry for Jimin. Not just because he obviously was a lot poorer than him.

It was because after knowing the elder for a while, he just thought that Jimin did not deserve to live there.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys!!! Yes, finally, I am BAAAACK from my vacation :) And here is another chapter for the story! I hope you guys like it, and feel free to express your thoughts on the chapter on the comment section!!!
> 
> Here is the chapter! Enjoy!!!(?)

**_12_ **

“Come in.” Jungkook spoke towards the receiver of the intercom, not bothering to wait for the person on the other side of the door to introduce herself. The sound of the door opening and closing prompted the busy CEO to look up from his laptop screen. “Appointments?”

“Three more scheduled meet ups for today, sir.” Momo answered, scanning through the contents of the clipboard she always carried with her around the office. “A short discussion with the marketing head at thirteen hundred about advertisement plans and changes in branding. Then, a meeting with the board at fourteen hundred.”

“The other one?”

“A discussion with the music department head.” The female answered. It made the boy’s brow rise in confusion.

“Meeting with Min Yoongi?” Jungkook asked, to which Momo answered with a nod. “About what?”

“I don’t know, sir, he did not say anything about it.” She replied. “But he said it was important.”

“Important, huh?” Jungkook scoffed. He then sent the older woman on her way after thanking her for the updates. He even tried scoring by asking her out after office hours—an offer which Momo politely declined due to prior commitments.

Once alone, Jungkook looked down on his desk and sighed, trying to remember if he and Min Yoongi had anything to talk about. It was a bit unusual for the pale male with a rather scary reputation to schedule a personal meeting with him—more often than not, it was Jungkook who requested the other’s presence to discuss a task.

For instance, when he had to ask Yoongi to pretend to be his boyfriend.

Wait.

“Maybe it’s about that?” Jungkook asked out loud, tilting his head to the side and scowling at no one. He momentarily dismissed the idea, having remembered that it was only Jimin and him who knew about the whole setup, but he once again considered it when he realized just how close the two are.

They were close enough for the elder to get Jimin a job in the company despite being inexperienced. Maybe they were also closed enough for the younger to also break his deal with Jungkook.

Jungkook groaned. He was hastily getting stressed over the whole thing until his phone dinged in his pocket. Pulled out of his trouble, the young CEO fished the device out of his pocket to see what was up.

 

> _From: Cinderella_
> 
> _Good news, sir. Pink Princess is doing a collaboration with Wings on the upcoming anniversary celebration for the event design._
> 
> _Also, our company’s proposals are getting noticed by the decision-making bodies of Pink Princess._

Jungkook smile. It was a really good progress for the company to overtake the other competing companies for sealing a deal with Pink Princess.

For that, he had Jimin to thank. If it was not for the inexperienced designer, even Jungkook’s shrewd plan would not have worked.

“Maybe I should give him a bonus or something?” Jungkook asked himself, but he quickly shot the idea down when he remembered how the elder had reacted the first time he tried to reward him for a job well done with money.

Jungkook understood how much Jimin despised appearing to be materialistic. And over the course of their deal, the CEO slowly accepted that trait as one of the elder’s assets.

 

 

Jimin snapped his head to the side, and smiled when he felt a particular bone click back to place. He was already getting quite uncomfortable, since he had been seated on his chair for the past at least five hours, working his ass off on a specific assignment that perked his interest.

It was a task given to him personally by the design and creatives department head Youngsun herself this morning.

At first, Jimin received the folder with masked displeasure, since it was additional work. And additional work was always a no-no. But upon opening and reading the contents of the folder, Jimin felt excitement rush into his veins.

Finally, an actual designing assignment.

Jimin felt like the actual life of a designer was about to start for him. To say that he was thrilled was an understatement. He could not even put a word on how he was feeling.

All he knew was that he was inspired, and that he should give his best.

On top of that, he was also due to work with Pink Princess, as per Hoseok’s request, which Seokjin himself approved during their dinner.

Jimin was on the top of the world.

“You seem happy.” Taehyung suddenly asked. On any other day, Jimin would have been startled, but he was far too into his work to care.

“Yeah, I am.” He smiled, fingers working even faster.

“Oooh… this is nice.” The taller said. “What is this? Sex with Jun—“

“SSHHH!” Jimin suddenly turned around the put his finger on the slightly younger’s lips, his usually narrow eyes widening in alert. “Kim Taehyung! This is supposed to be a secret, remember?”

And the other male had the audacity to grin. He then gave the shorter an enthusiastic nod, to which Jimin rolled his eyes, sighing before going back to his work.

“What is that anyway?”

“Assignment by Youngun-ssi herself.” Jimin answered, smiling. “I’m conceptualizing a design.”

“Oh, it’s that thing again.” Taehyung nodded, perking the older’s interest.

“What do you mean ‘again’?”

“The company does that every now and then to scout potential assets to the company.” Taehyung answered. “Good luck, Jiminie. That thing is a competition. She actually gave the same assignment to other people, and would choose the best one. The reward it that the winner would actually get to co-head the designing of the event, along with Youngsun-ssi herself.”

“R-Really?!” Jimin inquired, getting even more determined to do better. Taehyung simply nodded to him as an answer. “Oh my god… that’s amazing!”

“Yeah, and I think everyone else thinks so, too.” Taehyung answered. “The last time they did that, I also joined, but I lost. I think that was when Youngsun-ssi was still on our level. She was the one who won it, and soon after, she succeeded the previous department head when she resigned to settle down.”

“So I get to be a big shot employee here, if I win this?” Jimin asked.

“Yep.”

The newbie nodded in understanding. With even more determination, Jimin resumed working on his design, the competitive spirit in him awakened. He took a look at the clock, and glared at the time. Less than an hour remained on their shift for the day, and the special assignment was due tomorrow.

“Oh well, I could still work on it at home.” Jimin said to himself, and sighed before saving his work and transferring the files to his laptop.

He was in the middle of unplugging his flash drive from his laptop when his hyung’s familiar grumpy voice sounded.

“Hey.” Yoongi said, smiling softly at Jimin who returned the gesture. “How ya doin’?”

“Jiminie’s busy.” Taehyung answered instead, choosing to let his chair roll to the older’s cubicle. “He has a special assignment.”

“Oh, I see.” Yoongi answered, turning to face Taehyung, his smile growing even larger. Jimin almost gagged at how love struck the older’s smile was. “Uhm… well…”

“What are you doing here anyway?” Jimin asked, turning off his device and closing the lid. “And where’d you come from?”

“Nothing in particular…” Yoongi mumbled, looking at the clock hanging on the wall. It took a lot of willpower for Jimin to just not cackle at the department head’s slight blush. “I just finished some discussion with some higher ups, and well… I was wondering if you guys want to eat outside?”

“Food?” Taehyung asked, lolling his head to the side, making Yoongi smile again. He just could not stop himself from smiling at everything that the tall, eccentric male did. “Your treat?”

“If that’d make you come, yes.” Yoongi answered. His smile immediately morphed to a scowl when he heard the shortest’s chuckle.

“W-What are you laughing at?”

“N-Nothing!” Jimin answered in defense, still trying to contain his laughter. He just had to let it out—Yoongi’s game was still the same as it was years ago, and while Jimin thought it was sweet when he was still in school, it was, in a way, cringe-worthy seeing it again at this point in life. “By the way, it’s a no for the food thingy. I still have to work on something.”

“Aww… that sucks.” Taehyung said, disappointment laced in his voice.

“Well, not really.” Jimin answered. “Yoongi-hyung and you would surely have lots of fun.” He then turned to look at Yoongi in the eye, and smirked. “Right, hyung?”

“Y-Yeah.” Yoongi nodded, glaring at Jimin when the tallest male was not looking. He then mouthed a “I’m going to kill you” to the younger.

Jimin knew Yoongi long enough to know that if Yoongi voiced out a threat, that just meant he was playing.

Ignoring the elder’s menacing look, Jimin pushed his teasing a little bit further. “Enjoy your little date, then.”

“I will always enjoy food.” Taehyung chirped, oblivious to the murderous look the pale male was giving his friend. “Let’s go, Yoongi-hyung!”

“O-Okay.” Yoongi answered, only hearing Taehyung going back to his own cubicle to fix his stuff. He hoisted his clenched fist in the air and aimed at Jimin, but it was to no avail. The younger only laughed at him before shooing him away.

Since it was almost dismissal time and the tallest of the three was already done with his assignments, Yoongi and Taehyung left the office a little bit earlier than everyone else, which left Jimin to his own devices. He was just about to leave his own place as well so he would still have some time to walk leisurely to the coffee machine when he overheard two hushed voices coming from his other neighboring cubicle.

“Yah, Mingyu.” Wonwoo said in his deep, booming voice. “Min Yoongi-ssi came by just now.”

“Yeah, I heard.” The other man answered. Jimin could hear the smile in his voice. “He’s definitely whipped for Taehyung’s ass.”

“Yeah! Yeah! God, it’s so obvious.” Wonwoo agreed, followed by the sound of contained laughter. “It’s a surprise Taehyung haven’t noticed yet.”

“Man… that guy is a genius, but he can be oblivious at times.” Mingyu answered. There was a momentary lack of sound which piqued Jimin’s interest, but what he heard afterwards made his eyes widen.

“Yah… Wonwoo, wanna grab something to eat?” Jimin heard Mingyu ask. The fact that the tall, dark and handsome man invited his friend out for a snack was not surprising at all. But what confused the eavesdropping male was the fact that the usually bubbly voice of Kim Mingyu was in a way… different.

“Uhm… sure?” Wonwoo answered. Even he was sounded tentative to Jimin’s ears.

He was about to stand to take a look at the two when another voice called his attention.

“Park Jimin-ssi.” The voice called, prompting the said male to turn around to see Momo standing behind a cubicle wall. “CEO Jeon wants to have a word with you.”

“O-Okay.” Jimin answered, confused. “Thank you.”

And with that, Momo left him to his own thoughts. As far as he could remember, the two of them had no arrangement for the day. If it was not a meeting with Seokjin, what could it be that Jungkook wanted from him?

Sighing at the loss of a prospect leisure coffee before going home to continue his work, Jimin grabbed his belongings and headed to the topmost floor.

What he did not expect, however, was the attitude the younger had towards him the instant he entered the office.

“Park Jimin, did you breach our deal?” Jungkook immediately asked even before Jimin could greet him.

“W-What?”

“I asked, did you break your deal with me?!” Jungkook asked again, his voice getting more threatening. “We had a deal, Park! We agreed to not tell anyone about this!”

“But I did not!” Jimin answered. “I have kept my part of the bargain, and I always will!”

“Then why did Min Yoongi come here to ask about it?!” The younger screamed, frustration clearly displayed on his face. “You clearly broke your promise!”

“Well, it’s not my fault you approached him first!” Jimin countered. “He knew only because you actually asked him first before you went to me, and he isn’t really as dumb as other people out there!”

“But how did he know you and I made a deal?”

“Because he knew me more than anyone else, and noticed how the deal between us affected me.” The older answered. Silence rang in the room after his statement, and even the CEO’s face slightly softened at the older’s words.

“He… He’s the person closest to me, and I can’t just lie to him. I could fool myself, but not Yoongi-hyung. The last person I could fool is him. That is how much he understands me.”

The hostile atmosphere in the office was, all of a sudden, gone, and was replaced by an awkward feeling. The oral reprimand that Jungkook was planning on doing to Jimin backfired—it felt like it was the other way around. He really did not like having emotional conversations.

“Oh…”

“Why’d you ask, anyway?” Jimin broke the silence, and Jungkook was mildly thankful that the older made the first move to change the topic.

“Uhm… Min Yoongi dropped by a while ago.” Jungkook answered, his mood taking a complete 180. “And he confronted me about our deal.”

 

> _Jungkook’s head snapped up from the monitor screen when he heard the doorbell to his office sound. Looking at the time made him realize who was waiting outside._
> 
> _“Who is it?”_
> 
> _“Min Yoongi, music department head.” The person on the other side of the door answered through the intercom._
> 
> _With that, Jungkook let the older in. As per usual, the two greeted each other formally. Once the pleasantries are over, the younger initiated the topic that they needed to talk about._
> 
> _“What is your purpose for coming here?” The CEO asked._
> 
> _“I’m here to ask you to stop using Jimin for that immoral scheme you are doing.” Yoongi answered bluntly, shocking the younger. “I am not here because Jimin asked me to. I’m here as someone who cares for him, and I know he doesn’t like doing this.”_
> 
> _“W-What are you talking about?” Jungkook asked, trying to salvage the situation. As long as he did not admit to anything the elder was saying, there would not be a problem._
> 
> _“Your words are trying to mask your actions, but you can’t fake your expressions that fast, Mr. Jeon.” Yoongi answered, his face still blank. It was the first time Jungkook encountered someone like him—maybe everyone feared and respected him, his own brother, Namjoon, included, for a reason._
> 
> _“When I declined your proposal, I thought you would have stopped there.” Yoongi continued, clearly not being fazed by the fact that he was talking to his own boss. “Does Namjoon even know about this?”_
> 
> _“W-What—”_
> 
> _“Apparently, no. Because if he did know about this, you shouldn’t have proceeded.” The elder answered his own question. “I know Jimin wouldn’t have accepted it, as well, if he hadn’t been in a very tight situation at that time. That boy is the sweetest, most wonderful person I know, and he wouldn’t deceive people even if it meant having the world in his hands. Have you even considered asking him why he accepted your offer?”_
> 
> _No, Jungkook have not asked. Now that he was thinking about it, he really have not gotten to know the older aside from what his basic information sheet contained._
> 
> _And given what he had learned from Jimin after the short amount of time they had spent together, he really was someone who would not harm others for personal gains._
> 
> _“You know, Jimin gets attached really fast to people.” Yoongi continued. “And he gets hurt really fast, too. If he gets hurt from this, I swear, there will be hell to pay for.”_
> 
> _“You sound like you’re Park’s boyfriend.” Jungkook countered, smirking and raising his brow at the older. No, he refused to lose to Min Yoongi. “Maybe you still love him, and you’re jealous?”_
> 
> _“I was Park Jimin’s boyfriend.” The older answered easily. “And even though we’re over, I still care for him a lot. Unlike you.”_
> 
> _The accusation hit Jungkook right in the gut, in a way that he never thought it would affect him. Yoongi was making him seem like a prick, when in fact, he still considered Jimin’s well-being._
> 
> _Because he was still his employee, after all._
> 
> _“Y-Yah—”_
> 
> _“Now, that’d be all, sir. Have a nice day.” Yoongi stood up from his seat and gave the younger an obligatory bow before he walked out of the office despite Jungkook’s protests. Even as he left, his face still bore the same unreadable expression that gave Jungkook chills._

“And then I just sent him away.” Jungkook ended, trying his best to edit the story to his favor. “It’s not like he made a scene or something. He just… reminded me.”

“Wow… hyung really did that?” Jimin asked, surprise evident in his face.

“Well… yeah.” The younger answered. “But what really concerns me is if you told anyone else about it.”

“No, I did not.” Jimin looked up to the ceiling in an attempt to recall any other confrontation with other people. “Well… Kim Taehyung asked me about it, too. But I lied.”

“What’d you say?”

“That we were really dating.” The older easily answered, and taking the scandalized look on Jungkook’s face, he did not take the news well. “Well, I can’t really lie that well to him and say that nothing is going on between us when he noticed—”

“We’re dating?!” Jungkook asked, exasperation evident in his voice. “W-What?!”

“Look, that was the best that I could do at that time and—”

“Oh my god… what if everyone thinks I’m gay?!”

“You’re acting like being gay is _that_ bad, when in fact, it isn’t.” Jimin countered.

“But what if the ladies think—”

Jimin sighed loudly, cutting the younger’s train of words. “Really, Jeon Jungkook? You’re seriously thinking about that now? And don’t worry, trust me, Tae won’t tell a soul.”

“You sure about?”

“Yep.” Jimin answered. Relief washed over Jungkook’s features at the older’s reassurance. “But seriously, though. Wow… Yoongi-hyung is such a softie. Maybe I could tease hyung about it?”

“Don’t!!!” Jungkook suddenly screamed in objection, surprising the designer. He would surely look like an idiot if the shorter manages to learn the truth about what really transpired during his confrontation with Yoongi. “I-I mean… we should try to not remind him of the deal, r-right? So he would eventually forget?”

The shorter just scoffed. “Well, it’s not like hyung forgets things like that, but okay. Is that all?”

The doe-eyed male nodded as a response, prompting Jimin to give him a polite bow before heading towards the door. He was, however, stopped by Jungkook calling his name again.

“Jimin!” He called, stopping said male in his tracks. “Where are you going?”

“Home?” Jimin answered. “It’s dismissal time.”

“I know.” Jungkook replied. “But have you forgotten we were supposed to help Jin-hyung and Hoseok-hyung with their design?”

The older’s brow furrowed at the boss’s words. “That is today?”

“Yeah.”

“I wasn’t informed.” Jimin continued. “You didn’t tell me we were starting today.”

“Well… sorry about that. Jin-hyung just messaged me a while ago about it, too.” Jungkook answered. “Why? Is there a problem?”

Well, there really was a problem. Jimin stopped working on his special assignment by Youngsun, thinking that he would still have lots of time at home to finish it until the next day. And it was not like they would only stay in Seokjin’s house for an hour or two. Jimin was sure they would finish much later.

But then again, the collaboration with Pink Princess was also a big deal.

Welp, there goes his sleep, then.

“Nothing.” Jimin finally answered after a short delay. “When are we leaving?”

“Right now. Just give me a moment to pack up.” Jungkook answered before he proceeded to busying himself with his own belongings.

Once Jungkook was done with his preparations, the two of them headed straight for the company parking space at the basement where they boarded the younger’s car.

Along the way, Jungkook had driven the car through a fast food drive thru to order themselves a light snack, claiming that he did not have lunch. Learning this made the worrisome mother spirit in Jimin reprimand Jungkook for skipping a meal, not minding the fact that he also did the same thing countless of times already. But Jungkook did not have to know that. If only the designer had as much as half of his boss’s money, he would not even think about skipping meals. But then again, he had close to nothing at all, and he was still supporting his parents back in Busan.

Upon arriving at the castle-like abode, Jimin still could not stop himself from being awestruck at the loveliness of it all. Jungkook could only shake his head in amusement at the older’s expression.

“There you are.” Seokjin’s voice garnered the attention of the two when they got close to the front door. “Come in, guys.”

The pair found Hoseok already seated in front of his laptop and lots of papers, all on top of the coffee table. He greeted them with his million watt smile, which Jimin gladly returned with his crescent smile.

“Jiminie!!! I missed you!” Hoseok shrieked as he stood up from his seat in favor of coming over to the younger and pinching his cheeks.

“Hyunggg…” Jimin whined, his smile not leaving his face. “We saw each other like… yesterday.”

“Doesn’t count.”

“Yah, hyung, you’re gonna crush Jiminie-hyung’s face.” Jungkook protested. He lowkey pitied his employee for the excessive attention.

“Don’t worry, Jungkookie, I won’t steal your boyfriend.” Hoseok smirked at the younger, causing Jungkook to flush a bit at the embarrassing comment.

“M-Me? I’m not worried!” He answered, making both Jimin and Hoseok laugh. The former then walked towards his fake boyfriend and hugged him, making Jungkook a lot more uncomfortable. They really had not shown that much intimacy throughout the course of their act, so he really did not know how to react.

His cheeks, however, knew exactly how to respond. By getting even redder.

“Aww… Jungkookie, of course you shouldn’t be worried.” Jimin drawled out. “I’m all yours.”

Along with the gagging noise Hoseok made were the internal vomits both Jimin and Jungkook did in their minds.

“Oh my god, stop the PDA and let’s get working.” Seokjin complained with a fond smile on his face as he came back at the living room from the kitchen. He quickly set down a tray of snacks and drinks before he situated himself at the spot beside where Hoseok was.

At the mention of the task at hand, the shortest of the bunch visibly stiffened. Jungkook noticed this but did not mention it, opting to just lead the two of them to the other seat.

“Here, Jiminie,” Hoseok said when he reclaimed his position on the couch. “Are the details of the plan.”

“O-Okay.” Jimin answered as he received the papers the older was handing him. He then let out a sigh as he tried to focus on the words printed.

Nothing made sense.

He squinted his eyes at the words and tried to carefully read the words and figures once again, but still, to no avail. He was starting to panic when he heard Jungkook spoke.

“Hyung, are you okay?”

“Y-Yeah… I’m just—”

“Hyung, relax, you’re shaking.” The youngest said again, taking the designer’s hand into his own by instinct. “Is something wrong?”

“I-I’m just…” Jimin tried to answer, finding it difficult to do so with his breath running short. He closed his eyes, and tried his best to relax. “I’m a bit overwhelmed by this.”

“Don’t worry too much, Jimin.” Seokjin said in an attempt to make the younger relax. “You won’t mess things up.”

“Still… this is a big event.” Jimin answered. “One small mistake and it’s over.”

“And that is why we are working as a team, Jimin.” Hoseok added. “If something goes wrong, all of us takes responsibility, not just one. That is, if we make a mistake. However, with you skills, I don’t think we would.” He smiled, making the rattled designer calm down.

“Yeah, hyung, you can do this.” Jungkook said. After a few moments, Jimin managed to calm down from his breakdown and proceeded to working with all three of his companions to finish the design details.

Jimin proved to be invaluable in spotting minute errors in the design, something that impressed even a senior designer like Hoseok. After a few error detections, Seokjin decided to let the boy review the whole plan to make sure that the design was flawless from start to finish.

Not too long after the four of them decided to have dinner at Seokjin’s place. Once again, just like the last time, it was the Pink Princess CEO who cooked their meal, and as the food reached their taste buds, they could not help the sighs of content that escaped their lips.

That dinner, they got to know each other more. Seokjin shared that he had a younger brother who was, in his opinion, the only person he could admit was prettier than he was.

Jungkook learned that he was only straight guy in the house at the moment, with Hoseok being bisexual, and Seokjin and Jimin being gay. It did not bother him as much as he had expected, but it still made him a little bit uncomfortable.

The table turned into an uproar—courtesy of Jung Hoseok and Park Jimin—when the two learned that both of them loved dancing in their free time.

“And then work life came, and I suddenly don’t have time for dance.” Jimin shared, complete with a small pout at the end that made everyone, even Jungkook coo at his cuteness. “It sucks.”

“I know right!” Hoseok agreed. “At the start of my career as a designer I also ran out of time for dancing, but trust me, it gets better with time. Especially with your skills. Once you get to the upper half of the corporate ladder, your schedule suddenly becomes free during normal days.”

“Oh… that’s good to hear.” Jimin smiled. “How about you, Jin-hyung?”

The said boy suddenly emitted a windshield laugh that made Hoseok cringe. “Oh god, ask Hoseok.”

“He can’t dance to save his life.” The long-faced man answered, making the whole table erupt in laughter.

“Yeah, yeah, there was this one time I danced in a party,” Seokjin shamelessly said. “I was so bad, everyone started taking videos of my dancing and using it as blackmail material. I couldn’t care less about it.”

“Yeah, you were that shameless about it.” Hoseok chuckled. He then turned at the youngest and asked, “How about you, Jungkook?”

“Me?” Jungkook asked dumbly, and all he got was a nod from the elder. “I don’t dance.”

“Liar.” Jimin chuckled, making the younger snap his head at him. “You dance.”

“W-What?!”

“Oohhh… what is this?”

“I-I don’t!”

“Yes you do.” Jimin raised his brow at his own boss, clearly knowing that he was messing with his senior. “I’ve asked you dozens of times already, and still you won’t show me.”

“Hiding it even from your boyfriend?” Windshield laugh guy remarked with a teasing smile. “What, reserving it for special purposes?”

“W-What special purposes?” Jungkook stuttered awkwardly, making the other three laugh even more. “I don’t dance!”

He continued protesting his case for some time as the other three continued to tease him, all the while sending glares at the traitor. Jimin, on the other hand, did not seem fazed at all. He was actually right—he used to dance in the past, but he never recalled telling Jimin about it or even writing it in the sheet that he gave the boy at the start of their setup.

So how did Jimin know?

“Awww… poor Jiminie, you’re yet to see your boyfriend’s dancing.” Hoseok said, reaching over to give the younger a pat on the back. He was halted, however, by the death glare Jungkook suddenly sent him. “Woah…”

“What?” Jimin asked, confused by the elder’s actions. Hoseok then pointed at Jungkook, who now bore a neutral expression.

“He glared at me when I tried to touch you.”

“W-What? I did not!” Jungkook said in defense, not really remembering doing such a thing. He was too young to get senile.

“Aww… Jungkookie I told you I’m all yours!” Jimin cooed, smiling at the younger.

Jungkook just wanted to punch the smile away.

 

 

 

The team finalized their work after dinner, and less than an hour before midnight, the four of them rejoiced when Hoseok announced the whole design done to the last detail. All the storyboards for the AVP, the pathways, flowers, and table arrangements were finalized and ready to be ordered.

“Hey, Jimin, Jungkook.” Seokjin called the attention of the two. “Is it okay if Jimin goes to the office every day until the anniversary night? He’d be of great help to the team.”

“Well, of course, if that’s alright to him.” Jungkook answered, looking at his boyfriend. “Are you fine with that? I’ll just keep you free until this is done.”

“It’s fine to me, I guess.” Jimin answered. “Do I like… go straight to Pink Princess?”

“Nah, come to the office, I’ll drive you there.”

“Every day?”

“Yep.” The younger nodded. He was being too nice again, in Jimin’s opinion, but maybe it was all part of the act. Either way, it was a win-win situation for everyone, so he just went with it.

“Okay, I’ll just see you in your office tomorrow then.”

Soon after, the pair bid their hosts a good night before leaving the place. Hoseok said that he would be spending the night in Seokjin’s residence, so they did not have to wait for him to leave as well. And just like the night before, Jungkook offered to take the older home—an offer Jimin did not bother refusing.

“Hyung,” Jungkook said in the middle of the ride, gaining the elder’s attention. “You did great again. Just like every time.”

“Pfff… I’m always good.” Jimin proudly answered, grinning. “You’re improving as well, good job.”

“Thanks.”

“Though you get easily flustered over the smallest of things.” He continued. It was true, so Jungkook did not bother fighting him.

The CEO was about to drop the conversation when he remembered something that bothered him back during their dinner with Seokjin.

“Hyung,” Jungkook asked again, to which Jimin responded with a hum, telling him to continue. “How’d you know I dance?”

“You dance?” Jimin asked, a surprised look etched on his face. “Wow… I just guessed.”

“Oh god, really?”

“Yeah…” The designer answered. “You look like you dance. Being a dancer for a long time made me perceptive of such things.”

“Cool.” Jungkook simply answered.

Several minutes after their conversation, the two reached the older’s place. Unlike last night, instead of just staying inside the car, Jungkook also got off when then elder did.

Jimin raised his brow at this. “What are you doing?”

“I… uhm…” Jungkook stammered, thinking of an excuse to get to see the inside of the place. “I’m thirsty.”

“Don’t you have water inside your car?”

“I don’t.” He answered, not really knowing if he actually had water or not. “Don’t you want to give me water?”

“I mean… it’s fine to me.” Jimin shrugged. “I just thought you won’t wanna come inside such a place.”

“Yah… what do you take me for?” Jungkook protested. “Lead the way, then.”

“Okay.”

And Jimin let the younger into his place. As he had expected, Jungkook found the place… less than ideal. The only way he could describe the place was… it was cramped.

“Make yourself comfortable, I’ll just get your water.” Jimin said, excusing himself to the cupboards which were in the same room. “It won’t take long. It’s like… two steps away from you.” He added with a chuckle.

“Yeah, no problem.” Jungkook answered. While the other was, in a way, away, he took the time to look at the living space. He was currently seated on a chair which Jungkook supposed was the working chair. The only other resting place was the bed, which despite being only large enough for one person, was neatly and nicely made, just like the rest of the place.

Everything was organized, so the space appeared a lot more breathable than its size permitted.

And the TV. It was one of those sets that Jungkook had seen before in his childhood days, before he first saw the wonders of the flat screen TV.

“And… here’s your water.” Jimin suddenly said, snapping Jungkook out of his thoughts. He graciously took it from the older’s hands and took a sip.

“Thanks.” Jungkook said after he finished the drink. He then handed the glass back to Jimin, which the older simply put on the sink.

There was a moment of silence as Jungkook continued to eye everything else in the apartment. Just as he had thought the night before, he still thought the sweet boy did not deserve such living conditions.

“Yah, don’t pity me.”

Jungkook turned his attention to Jimin, who was smiling softly at him. “I don’t.”

“I know that look on your face. Of course you pity me.” Jimin answered, taking a seat on his bed. He ran his open palm across the sheets and sighed. “I don’t think there’s anything to be ashamed of in my condition. Right from the start I stayed true to myself, that I’m just a poor boy from the province. And there’s nothing to be ashamed of. I’d be ashamed if you came here to see my place when I told you I was rich.”

And Jimin chuckled.

Jungkook took in Jimin’s appearance. For some reason, the older looked—happy. Happy and proud.

“So you don’t have any reason to pity me.” Jimin continued.

And Jungkook understood. He understood what Yoongi meant when he said that Jimin was the most wonderful person he knew, because damn, he really was.

This realization made the famous CEO genuinely feel like he was a prick for using Park Jimin for personal gains. He felt bad for using such a genuine person’s troubles to get his way.

“Hyung—”

“Get on you way, sir.” Jimin suddenly interrupted him, grabbing his arm and pulling him up from his seat. “I’m too tired for anything else. Just go home.”

“But—”

“Whatever that is, just tell me tomorrow, please?” Jimin whined, letting out a yawn as he proceeded to pushing the younger out of the place. “I’m really tired. I won’t understand a thing with what your about to say if you say it now.”

Jungkook let himself be pushed out of the door, looking at the shorter over his shoulder. “O-Okay.” He stuttered out once he was out of the door. The apology can wait. “See you tomorrow, then.”

“Mmmm… take care.” Jimin tiredly answered before he closed his door on the younger’s face. The boss blinked once, then twice at the door before he turned around to board his car and rest for the day.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys!!! So... I'm here again with another chapter of the story! I am really sorry for the very staggered and late updates. I hope you guys like it. If you have any thoughts, just comment!!!
> 
> Enjoy!

“Good morning.”

“Good morning, sir.” Jimin greeted the security guard of the Wings building with a tired smile before letting out a big yawn right after. It made the friendly personnel’s brows furrow in concern for the designer, but Jimin simply gave him a reassuring smile to tell him he was fine.

Throughout his way to his floor and cubicle, the short male probably had stifled at least three yawns and failed to keep the other four in. To say the least, Jimin was still a bit sleepy, and he had his work to thank for that.

He had hurried to send Jungkook on his way the previous night under the pretense of being too tired for anything else because of his special assignment. Yes, he really was tired back then, but he knew he could not just rest immediately while he had an unfinished work waiting for him.

Not just any work at that. It was that one work that could seal his position in the company.

So despite the surprise trip to Seokjin’s house that lasted until a few minutes before midnight, the designer still tried his best to finish Youngsun’s assignment.

With both the tasks he did the night before being emotionally and mentally draining, the hour of sleep he managed to snag once he finished the special assignment was not enough by a long shot.

That was why relief washed over Jimin when he found no assignment waiting for him in his e-mail when he checked upon arrival in his cubicle.

He barely had let out a sigh of relief and exhaustion when he heard a female’s voice.

“Park Jimin-ssi.” Said male looked up from his desk and found his department head looking down at him with a smile on her face which faltered the moment they made eye contact.

“Good morning, ma’am.” Jimin greeted Youngsun with a smile. “Is there something…”

“Well… nothing much.” The female answered. “I just need to talk to you. Please come to my office. If you’re… ready and all. You look like you’re tired.”

“Don’t worry, ma’am, I’m fine.” Jimin answered. “I’ll be there at once.”

“Okay.”

Once the girl was gone, Jimin stood up from his seat, and carried with him his flash drive which contained the work that had stolen his sleep the night before. Another yawn tore itself out of his system, making him realize what he seriously needed at the moment—coffee. Rich, creamy, but strong coffee.

With that thought in mind, the designer groggily made his way to the coffee maker in the department and prepared himself a cup, making sure to add extra of everything. Cup in one hand and his flash drive in the other, Jimin went to the department head’s office.

“Good morning, ma’am.” He greeted the female once again. Youngsun looked up from her computer screen and smiled at Jimin before motioning for him to take a seat.

“So… I won’t take much of your time because you look really tired right now and you still need to be somewhere else.” She started. “Jeon Jungkook-ssi have already notified me of your situation in the company and have requested me to refrain from giving you any assignment indefinitely.”

“Yes, ma’am, I understand.” Jimin answered, fully comprehending what the girl was talking about. It was surely because of his collaboration with Pink Princess.

“Now, whatever that is, raise the flag of our department, okay?” Younsun thoughtfully said, smiling once again after. “Mr. Jeon said you’re working on something that can make or break our company, and I think that’s a lot of pressure for someone like you. Don’t be scared to ask for help, okay?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Now, you may go to the top floor to meet Mr. Jeon.” She finished. Jimin bowed to his senior and turned around to exit the office before he remembered he still had something to give the older.

“Uhm… ma’am.” Jimin said lowly as he placed the flash drive on the table. Youngsun stared at the object for a few moments in confusion before she looked up again.

“What is this?”

“The special assignment you gave us yesterday, ma’am.” The designer answered. “It’s due today, right?”

“You actually finished it?” She questioned with wide eyes, taking the said flash drive into her hands and plugging it into her computer. “Is this what kept you up last night?”

“Well… it was due today, so…”

“Special assignments like this are usually given the day before the deadline, expecting that the employees cannot finish it on time.” The department head explained. “I was gonna extend the deadline, too. And yet you finished it?”

It was great news, really, but Jimin could not help the disappointment on his face. He worked on the assignment hard and fast, and he was certain that it was not the best he could produce. He was sure he could have done better if he did not have to rush through the whole thing.

“That’s pretty impressive, Park.” She continued, oblivious to the displeasure the boy was hiding behind his expression.

“Can I still submit something else until the extended deadline?” Jimin asked. “I mean… that was pretty rushed and I swear I can do better than that.”

“Don’t worry, yes, you still can.” Youngsun answered. “But remember to rest well, okay? Don’t be too pressured to submit another one—I’m yet to see this one you submitted, and who knows? Maybe this is good enough.”

And Jimin only nodded in response. He knew that given that he had to concentrate on his collaboration with Pink Princess for their anniversary, he would not have that much spare time to work on another output. But he could still try. It was not like he did not go through the same work load back when he was still in university.

With another bow of courtesy, Jimin excused himself out of the office and back to his cubicle where he immediately proceeded to collecting his bag.

“Yo, Jiminie.” Taehyung suddenly came sliding out of his cubicle again to greet the slightly older man. “You look like shit. Again.”

“Good morning to you, too, Tae.” Jimin sarcastically answered. He pushed his chair back into initial place before he face the other boy. “I worked on Youngsun-ssi’s assignment last night.”

Taehyung tilted his head to the side. “Didn’t I tell you about the extension?”

“No, you didn’t, scumbag.” The shorter snapped back. “But oh well, I already submitted it, so… there.”

“Awww… sorry about that. But really, man? You finished it last night?”

“This morning, to be exact.”

“Oh… that’s a pity.” Taehyung chuckled. He then eyed the bag in the other’s hand before asking, “Where are you going?”

“Top floor.”

“Oooohhhh…” He smirked, wiggling his brows at Jimin. “Meeting Mr. Jeon?”

“Yeah.” Jimin nonchalantly answered. He then watched in amusement as Taehyung’s face morphed into an ugly perverted expression. “Yah! What is that?”

“Mmmmm… office…” Taehyung continued to tease, making the shorter reach over to his place just to hit his shoulder.

“It’s not like that, Tae.” Jimin protested, lack of energy evident in his voice. “But anyway, Mr. Jeon’s waiting for me, so I should go now.”

“Ooohhh… is he waiting in his clothes?”

“Oh my god, I don’t know you.”

 

 

 

Jungkook was ready when Jimin stepped into the younger’s office. He was already seated on one of the couches in the room, his eyes fixed on the screen of his phone before he looked up to meet the designer’s gaze.

“Hey.”

“Hey.” Jimin smiled, greeting his boss casually. “Good morning, sir.”

“Good morning.” Jungkook replied. “So, I guess Youngsun-ssi already talked to you?”

“Yes.” The older answered. “She told me I won’t be given any assignment until the end of the collaboration.”

“That’s right.” Jungkook stood up from his seat and proceeded to scanning the room for anything he might have forgotten before approaching the doorway. “Today, you’ll be meeting Pink Princess design team.”

“Right.” Jimin nodded. He then let out a deep breath as he followed the younger’s steps. The gesture did not go unnoticed by Jungkook.

“Don’t be worried.” He said, trying to make the older relax in his skin. “You won’t be leading them, and Hoseok-hyung will be there the whole time.”

“I’m not worried.” Jimin answered. “I’m just… nervous. I think it’s normal. After all, I’ll be there to represent Wings.”

“Right.” The younger nodded in understanding. He watched as the number on the LED screen descended along with the elevator. “But still. Remember how much you amazed Jin-hyung and Hoseok-hyung? You’ll do just fine.”

“I hope so.”

Once the two reached the basement parking lot, they head straight for the CEO’s car. Jungkook had noticed the dark circles under Jimin’s eyes when latter entered his office, but did not dwell much on it.

Jungkook’s face crumpled in confusion. He was not even able to properly apologize to the older, like he was planning on doing since Yoongi confronted him. Jimin shooed him away the night before to rest, so he should have had at least five hours of sleep. That should be more than enough to get people of their age rested.

But along the way to the car, he watched the older struggle with his yawns at least three times, and while it was really not so bothering for the younger, he was still concerned that Jimin’s current condition would affect his performance in for the whole day.

So once they entered the car, Jungkook immediately reached over the shorter male to tug on the handle of the recliner control, taking the other by surprise.

“Y-Yah, what are you doing?” Jimin asked, inhaling after his mini heart attack only to inhale a whiff of the younger’s perfume.

He did not like the smell. It made him feel light-headed.

“You look like you could use some sleep, hyung.” Jungkook answered, finally finding the handle he was looking for and pulling it, causing Jimin to squeak in surprise. The sound made the younger chuckle.

“That was so… manly.” Jungkook teased, raising his brow at the older who only scowled at him. Jimin opened his mouth to retort but Jungkook only shushed him. “Get some sleep. Pink Princess isn’t that near, so you’ll get to rest for a bit.”

The older only rolled his eyes at his boss, crossing his arms in front of his chest and looking away. “I’m a manly man, excuse me.” He stubbornly mumbled, making Jungkook smile at his childish tone. He really wanted to tease him a little bit more, but then the older could get too worked up over the small thing and end up not getting any rest along the way.

“What is this? No comeback this time?” Jimin asked, his brows furrowing in curiosity. “Does that mean I win?”

“Just sleep, okay?”

“So I win then?”

“Fine, fine, you’re a manly man, hyung. Now sleep.” Jungkook answered, his bunny teeth showing as his smile grew wider.

“I know.” Jimin smiled, happy with his small victory. He then relaxed into his now reclined seat and sighed as he instantly felt comfort upon closing his eyes.

Not too long after the conversation ended, the designer fell asleep. When Jungkook looked to his side to check on the older, he could not stop himself from smiling at the peaceful look on his face as he dozed off. He briefly wondered if everyone looked like that while sleeping or it was just the small hyung.

Maybe he should look at pictures of sleeping people on the internet when he got the chance.

A few more minutes, and the traffic stopped on an intersection. Since he had a sleeping person with him in the car, Jungkook could not turn the radio on, so he had nothing to do. His eyes wandered the surroundings out of boredom, and groaned at the 80 seconds remaining on the red LED light.

In his observation of the area, his eyes eventually landed on the sleeping figure beside him.

“You look so much better sleeping, hyung.” Jungkook mumbled to himself, taking in the older’s appearance. He certainly preferred seeing the older so relaxed instead of the eternally troubled look he always had even when he was smiling.

It made the young CEO wonder—just how much was Jimin going through?

Maybe he should try not to add to the older’s problems anymore.

“Yah!” A loud voice suddenly snapped Jungkook out of his thoughts, followed by knocks to his window. When he looked up, it was a traffic enforcer trying to get his attention.

That was when he realized that the traffic lights have already turned green, and all of the cars behind him were already blaring their horns at him.

“Sorry, sir, sorry!” Jungkook apologized to the enforcer once he rolled down his window. “I spaced out.”

“Hurry up! You’re blocking the driveway!”

“Yes, sir!” He answered, bowing to the man and proceeding to speeding away from the location, rolling his tinted window up once again.

Jungkook could not help but groan at what just happened. It was so uncharacteristic to him to make such mindless mistakes.

“It’s your fault, hyung.” Jungkook scowled at the older, who was still busy sleeping. Jimin mumbled some gibberish in his sleep before falling quiet again, making the younger’s slight frustration dissipate.

 

 

Jimin automatically woke up when Jungkook rounded the corner leading to the large corporate building of Pink Princess, surprising the younger.

“Wow… how’d you know we’re here?” Jungkook asked, amazed at the designers ability to know when to wake up.

“I don’t know… I just… wake up.” Jimin answered in between groans as he stretched his limbs. He then tugged on the same handle Jungkook pulled at the start of their ride to readjust his back rest back to its original position. “I have an automated alarm clock inside me, I guess.”

“Wow…”

“Wow your face.” The older commented, yawning right after and slumping into his seat. “My body just automatically wakes up at certain times. So when I sleep really late during weekends, instead of being able to sleep through the next day, I couldn’t, because my body keeps on waking me up at six in the morning.”

“I see, I see.” Jungkook replied. “Just how much did you sleep last night?”

“One hour.”

“One hour?” He repeated, receiving a nod as an answer from the older. “What did you do when you sent me home last night? I wanted to talk to you about something but you said you were too tired to even talk.”

The older’s eyes widened comically at the question, remembering that Jungkook did not know he crammed Youngsun’s assignment last night. He scratched his head as he tried to come up with an acceptable excuse as the younger entered the building’s parking lot after talking to the guard.

“Well… I…” Jimin trailed off, glancing at the younger who was too busy maneuvering the car to a parking space to look at him. Well, at least he could not see Jimin’s struggle.

“What?”

“I couldn’t sleep last night.” Jimin lied, face scrunching afterwards because he knew he was a terrible liar. “I was too restless.”

There it was again. Upon hearing Jimin’s explanation, guilt built up inside Jungkook at the thought of the older getting stressed over things that should have been less, if only he had been a little bit more considerate towards him.

“Are you… stressed over something or…” Jungkook tried to pry the elder’s troubles out of him, pulling on the hand brake of the car and turning the engine off. He really wanted to know what Jimin was going through so he could be more sensitive.

“Ah, it’s nothing, don’t worry.” Jimin answered, shaking his head and smiling at the younger. “Just… thoughts, I guess.”

“Are you sure?

“Yeah.” He reassured the younger, smiling once again before heading out of the car. Jungkook could only sigh in defeat before he decided to step out of the vehicle as well.

Maybe the older was just too nice to involve other people in his troubles. Maybe he did not want to open up to others in fear of being a burden.

If it was true, then Jungkook was sad for the shorter.

Just as Jimin had expected, the company building of Pink Princess was—nothing new. It was almost the exact same thing as the other buildings Jimin have been when he was still looking for a job. It was so ordinary that he just could not imagine Seokjin being the one to design it.

The contrast of his company building with his home was astounding.

Jungkook led the way to the elevator door at the basement floor, and once Jimin was inside, pressed the button to the middle floor of the building, where Seokjin had told him to go straight to upon their arrival. At first, the fact that Seokjin’s office was on the middle floor and not on the top, like where the offices of CEOs usually are, made Jungkook wonder. But then again, Pink Princess was known to be different from other companies in nearly all aspects.

Both of them remained silent throughout the entire ascent, partly because they did not have anything to say to each other, but mostly because starting from the second floor, the elevator always had someone else aside from just the two of them inside it.

Once on their target floor, the two immediately alit the elevator. Just a few steps out and they were stopped by a young woman in her office attire.

“Mr. Jeon and Mr. Park?” She asked with a clearly rehearsed smile. Her two front teeth were also prominent—her smile’s resemblance to that of the younger CEO amused Jimin.

“I’m Im Nayeon, Mr. Kim’s secretary. Welcome to Pink Princess.”

“Oh, hello, and thank you.” Jimin answered for the two of them, seeing that Jungkook was not interested in speaking anytime soon. Just like how he always was when it was just the two of them and they were meeting new people. “It’s nice to be here.”

“Mr. Kim is expecting you. Please, follow me.” She said with the same smile. She then started walking along the halls of the floor with the two boys trailing right behind her.

They soon arrived at an ornate wooden door with a single rose gold flower emblem near the middle, and just based on how different the door felt, along with its design and the flower emblem, the designer immediately knew Seokjin’s office was behind it.

And true enough, there was a stark difference between the rest of the building and Seokjin’s office when Nayeon opened the door for them, because just like how Jimin felt when he first saw the CEO’s house, stepping into his office was like stepping into a completely different world.

“Sir, the guests are here.”

“Oh my, hello Jungkook, Jimin!” Seokjin gladly greeted the two as they came in. Nayeon immediately excused herself by simply signaling to her boss, which Seokjin immediately acknowledged.

Maybe she was in the middle of something when they came, and now she had to go back and attend to it.

“Hi, hyung.” Jungkook waved at the older, smiling as he took a seat on one of the couches. Jimin immediately followed on the same couch and left little to no distance between him and his accomplice.

“So… how are you guys?” Seokjin asked, also taking a seat on another spot. He briefly fixed himself on the single couch before he looked up to the two, his smile almost immediately dropping once he noticed Jimin’s appearance. “Jimin… you look…”

“Tired? Yeah, hyung, I know.” Jimin let out an embarrassed chuckle. “Do I really look that ugly today?”

“No!” Seokjin and Jungkook chorused, surprising everyone in the room. The shortest of the three just gave the younger a weird look but decided against pushing the topic.

“I mean… you just look down today, that’s all.” Seokjin answered, clarifying himself.

“Yeah, same with hyung.” Jungkook added. He internally winced at the way he handled the matter. He was sure he was out of his normal self.

“Oh… thanks for worrying, then.” The designer answered, smiling his usual crinkly smile that made his eyes disappear into thin crescents. “I just… didn’t get enough sleep.”

“Oh, I see.” Seokjin nodded. “Either way, I will not take any more of your time, guys. Follow me.” He continued, standing up from his seat and leading the way out of the office and back to the elevator. Along the way, the three have encountered several of Seokjin’s employees. All of them greeted their boss casually, like they were just his friends.

When Jungkook asked about it, Seokjin simply answered, “They’re my friends, anyway. I’m only their boss if something that needs an authority figure happens.”

It was an adorable employer-employee relationship, in Jimin’s opinion. He just wished Jungkook was the same in Wings.

The design department was a few floors above theirs. Once there, this time, not just Jimin but Jungkook as well was amazed at how the whole department looked. It was… colorful. Colorful but still sophisticated. It reminded Jimin of the office in one of the dramas he had watched in the past.

And the people, too. It was amazing how Pink Princess’s design department was relatively small, compared to the one in Wings, and its occupants were like buddies. Some of the cubicles were empty, but others were housing more than one person.

The sound of friendly banter momentarily stopped when they entered the department, but not even three seconds after, they resumed in their talking.

“They really are at ease with you, huh, hyung?” Jungkook asked as they continued walking to the glass-walled room at the edge of the office. What he got as an answer was a chuckle from the elder.

“Hoseok, they’re here.” Seokjin immediately said once he entered the said man’s office. Even before the two guests saw his blinding smile, they already heard the older’s shriek of joy.

“Oh my god, Jiminie!” He screamed, rising up from his seat in favor of smothering his target with cheek pinches and hair ruffles. “What happened? Are you sick?”

“Nah… just tired, hyung.” The shorter answered, smiling. His “reunion” with the department head was interrupted by the sound of a phone.

“Uhm… excuse me.” Jungkook said, smiling coyly at the three before fishing his phone out to read the message that just arrived. The other three waited for him to finish reading.

“What is it?”

“Momo just texted, she said something came up. I’m afraid I’ll have to leave.” Jungkook answered, looking pointedly at Jimin, who only nodded at him. “Will you be okay?”

“Yah, what is this? You said literally moments ago that I’ll be fine.” Jimin replied with a laugh. “Just go.”

“I’m really sorry, Hoseok-hyung, nice seeing you again even though we just saw each other last night.”

“It’s fine, don’t worry.” Hoseok said. “Being a boss is hard, right?”

“Yeah, sure is.” The youngest of the four answered. “Uhm… so, I’ll get going?”

“Hey, hey, no goodbye kiss?” Seokjin teased, catching both Jimin and Jungkook off-guard. However, Jimin was way more comfortable talking about things such as kissing than Jungkook was, and he was aware of it. So he turned his attention to the younger to gauge his reaction.

And true enough, Jungkook was back to his awkward, uncomfortable self.

His doe eyes were shining with how wide they went after Seokjin’s jest, looking at Jimin, pleading to please, please—

“He’s not really comfortable doing PDA in public, actually.” Jimin answered, making Hoseok and Seokjin both groan in disappointment and Jungkook sigh in relief. He always had Jimin to save the day for him, whenever he got too uncomfortable in their act.

Jungkook was just about completely relaxed again when the long-faced designer opened his mouth to speak.

“You don’t do sweet things in public, huh?” Hoseok asked, tell-tale signs of a smirk dancing on his lips. “Then you guys must be very sweet in private, since you have to hold it when it’s not just the two of you.”

“Right, right.” Seokjin agreed. He then gasped loudly as his eyes widened and covered his mouth, pointing at Jungkook and Jimin. “Oh my god… is that why Jiminie’s so tired?!”

“What?!” Jungkook flushed a very deep crimson while Jimin’s ears started burning. They watched in horror as the two hyungs hollered it up in the younger’s office, laughing at the panicked face the two sported.

“Ah… seems like you’re right, hyung.”

“Oh my god, no!” Jimin protested, wiping his face with his small hands. “Oh my god… what the hell!”

“I’m leaving!” Jungkook announced, turning on his heels and hurrying out of the place before he could spontaneously combust in embarrassment.

 

 

Soon after Jungkook’s departure, Seokjin also left the other two on their own in favor of going back to his own office. Hoseok then took the opportunity to show Jimin around the department, much to the younger’s pleasure. Not that there was much to show him, anyway, because the design department was small. But instead of that fact making the place trivial, for some reason, Jimin actually felt like the department was small because only important people went there.

People like him.

The thought made the newbie designer smile to himself. At last, his career was finally going to the right direction, and quickly at that.

“Hey guys! Attention here!”

Hoseok’s voice made the young designer look around him in confusion, his stupid smile still plastered on his face. His smile faltered and gradually dissolved to a tensed look when he noticed everyone stopped doing their work, and were now looking at him.

“Guys, meeting Park Jimin! He’s from the Wings Company and will be collaborating with us for the anniversary party!” Hoseok announced, prompting everyone to clap for Jimin. Said male then turned his attention to the older and looked at him confusion, not really knowing what to do.

“Come on, introduce yourself.”

“Uhm… good morning, guys.” Jimin croaked, internally wincing at how weird he sounded. He was suddenly hyperaware of his own appearance—why did he have to face a crowd when he was in his worst state?

Hoseok might have noticed Jimin’s distress, because the latter was shocked when he felt the older pat him on the back and whisper. “Jiminie, it’s fine. You’re fine.”

The short male the swallowed hard and closed his eyes for a while to calm himself down. Puffing his chest out and clearing his throat, Jimin continued, “I’m Park Jimin. It’s nice to meet you all.”

To his contentment, everyone welcomed him in chorus with smiles on their faces, just like the one that adorned Hoseok’s face when Jimin turned again to thank him for the support.

Once everyone finally settled down from their small talks in hushed tones regarding the new information, Hoseok continued, “Once Upon A Time team!” he shouted, gaining the attention of all the people in the office once again. “Meeting in ten!”

“Yes, sir!” They all answered before proceeding to their own cubicles to continue with their work before the said meeting. Jimin watched in amazement at the dynamics of the people in the department, and loved the feeling of being able to work with them even just temporarily.

“Nice people, right?” Hoseok asked from beside him, which Jimin answered with a nod and a hum. He then followed the older back to his office where the long-faced man ushered him to take a seat on the couch.

“You seem happy.”

“Of course I am.” Jimin answered, smiling. “It’s so nice here.”

“Isn’t it nice in your department, too?” Hoseok asked, the space between his brows crumpling. “Wings is also known for its good treatment to its employees.”

“Yeah, they’re also great.” The younger replied. “But it isn’t like this… Here, you and the other guys just seem so… close.”

“Hell yeah, we’re close.” Hoseok grinned. “We even eat dinners with each other at times.”

“Exactly!” The other said. “Maybe it’s in your small number… or in your environment. I don’t know… Our office feels so… corporate. All business and such. Yes, I have friends in Wings. But not all of them would actually eat dinner with me just because.”

“Yeah… maybe it’s just that there’s just so few of us here that we actually get to interact closely with each other.” Hoseok nodded in understanding. “Anyway, let’s go to the discussion room.”

“But I don’t have anything to present yet.”

“Don’t worry, it’s fine.” The elder reassured. “You’re here to help us, not to do all the work.”

With that, Hoseok stood from his seat and took his laptop with him before leaving his office with Jimin following right behind him. The conference room, which was also walled in with glass, was right beside the department head’s office. Soon after Hoseok and Jimin settled into their adjacent seats, everyone else also started pouring into the room and occupied the other seats around the round table.

One by one, the members of the anniversary party design team introduced themselves to the new comer. There were five females in the team—Wheein, Hyejin, Byulyi, Jihyo and Jeongyeon, and four males, Seokmin, Chan, Soonyoung, and Joshua. They all once again welcomed Jimin into their team before proceeding with the discussion.

Surprised, but pleasantly so, Jimin found himself easily blending into the group. Everything was going smoothly for him, except for the fact that his other seatmate, Wheein, was sending him weird looks.

And they were not the looks that made him uncomfortable because of the prospect of having to reject another interested female. No, it was the kind of look that says something was up—that Wheein knew things Jimin did not. It was rather unnerving for the young designer, but he figured he did not have to concern himself with such things. Hoseok was there for him anyway, in case something unexpected happened.

“So, the design is final right?” Hoseok asked everyone, to which the rest of the team nodded in agreement. Jimin did not have to speak up so far, and for that, he was thankful. “Let’s go back to our stations now and contact suppliers. Once you guys have decided on your suggested supplier, inform me and Jimin in the office, okay?”

“Okay.”

“No, let’s go.” The department head announced, standing from his seat right after, making everyone else follow suit. “Jiminie, follow me.”

“Okay.” Said male nodded and trailed after the older. The Wheein girl had stopped giving him weird looks a few moments before Hoseok adjourned the meeting, and left the conference room before them, joining the rest of the girls.

Once the two were back in the office, Hoseok instructed the younger to temporarily setup his workspace on the coffee table and take the couch, apologizing profusely for the lack of proper working space for him. Jimin quickly reassured him though that it was alright.

“It’s an honor to work here inside the office with you, anyway.” Jimin had told the older, making Hoseok laugh at his flattery.

“Yah… you’re praising me too much.” He answered, ruffling the shorter’s hair a bit before going back to his own desk to continue his work.

For the rest of the day, Jimin just sat on the couch in front of his laptop and worked his ass off in making models and reevaluating the final design. Every now and then, people from the rest of the team entered the office to submit papers to Hoseok—papers that the older also shared to the young designer so they could evaluate the supplier together.

The only time that he got off the couch for a break was when Hoseok himself pulled him up to have lunch with the rest of the team. They did not leave the department, though—apparently, it was already their tradition to have lunch together in the conference room of the department and eat food that they ordered from a nearby restaurant every day.

Lunch with the Pink Princess design department was one of the best lunches Jimin have ever had since he moved to Seoul. The meal was noisy, to say the least, with everyone acting like they were simply friends having a lunch out rather than an event team with deadlines.

After the lunch, the team also altogether cleaned the conference room again like siblings in their house. Jimin found even the cleanup fun, and every time he remembered that he was just there temporarily, he could not help but feel sad even though he still had more than a week there.

Afternoon went by fairly quickly. It was the same thing—Jimin and Hoseok worked in silence that was occasionally broken by the rest of the team entering the office either to submit something or to ask about something. Those visits of consultations eventually turned into visits to say goodbye for the day when the clock struck five.

“Yah, Jiminie, take a break.”

Said man looked up from his laptop screen to see Hoseok seated on the couch opposite his, swiping away on his phone.

“Not yet done, hyung.”

“Aww, come on, rest for a while!” Hoseok insisted. “You can finish that tomorrow.”

“But I can finish this today, hyung.” Jimin retorted, sighing afterwards when he finally positioned a particularly hard to manipulate element perfectly into the model. He pretended to not have heard the whine the older emitted at his answer.

A few moments later, they were joined by the CEO of Pink Princess, already out of his coat and only donning his purple button down and fitted slacks.

“Oh, Jimin’s still here?” He queried as he stepped into the office, grimacing at the sight of the youngest still concentrating on his work. “It’s already dismissal. It’s even dark outside already!”

“Really?” Hoseok asked, checking the time on his phone. “Yah, Jiminie, it’s already six in the evening. Have you asked Jungkook to fetch you already?”

Jimin looked up, and glanced at the two males looking at him with questioning looks. “Ah, right.” He nodded, reaching for his phone in his pocket. He had not even touched the fabric of his clothing when he froze in realization.

He did not have Jungkook’s number.

Panic suddenly filled his system. What would the other two think if they found out Jimin, Jungkook’s supposedly boyfriend, did not have his number registered in his phone?

They are surely going to get busted.

Jimin suppressed the groan of frustration that tried to escape his lips. What should he do? He had to think fast—else the two will start to notice something was wrong.

Taking a deep breath to gather enough courage, Jimin finally spoke up.

Starting with a curse.

“Shit!” He groaned, complete with a rub on his forehead to complete the act. Seokjin and Hoseok simultaneously turned their heads to the shortest upon hearing his expression. They then watched on as Jimin lifted his gaze to them and sent them an embarrassed smile.

“S-Sorry.”

“It’s okay, we do that at times, too.” Seokjin answered. “But anyway, what’s wrong?”

“I think I left my phone in Jungkookie’s car.” Jimin answered, sighing. He had quietly hidden his phone in his bag when the other two were not looking. “I… I can’t contact him.”

“Oh, don’t worry.” Seokjin replied, reaching for his own phone in his pocket. “I have his number. I’ll call him—”

“Hi. Sorry hyung I’m a bit late.” Another voice suddenly interrupted the oldest words. All three abruptly turned their heads to the door, where the subject matter of Jimin’s distress stood.

“J-Jungkook…ie.” Jimin stuttered, taken by surprise by the younger’s sudden appearance. “You’re here.”

“Yeah…?” Jungkook answered, raising his brow at the weird expression everyone was giving him. “W-Why?”

“Jiminie here left his phone in your car, so he could not ask you to fetch him.” Seokjin answered, his shocked expression gradually turning into a smirk.

“Yeah, and yet here you are, arriving just in time.” Hoseok continued, his face mimicking that of Seokjin’s. They then started cooing at the two and even high fived each other.

Jungkook, on the other hand, felt blood rush into his ears in embarrassment. He just got there, and yet the two were already on it. He sent a quick glance at Jimin, who was scratching the back of his neck.

“Sorry.” Jimin mouthed to him, smiling shyly afterwards.

Still embarrassed, the young CEO rushed by Jimin’s side and hit his shoulder.

“Why’d you…” Jungkook started, not really knowing how to proceed with his question, because as far as he remembered, he did not see any phone inside his car both when he went back to Wings after sending the older to Pink Princess and when he drove back fetch Jimin.

He then studied Jimin’s expression, and took in the way the older widened his eyes at him and side eyed the other two, who were still busy teasing the fake couple.

“Why’d you leave your phone in my car?” Jungkook ended. He then watched in relief when Jimin’s expression relaxed.

“Sorry, Kookie… Maybe it fell there when I fell asleep in your car.” He answered, still smiling. “Anyway… can you wait a little longer? I’m almost done with my work.”

“Yah, just finish it tomorrow morning, Jimin!”

“But hyuuung…” Jimin whined at Hoseok who wanted him rest already. “I’ll be done soon! I can finish this tonight!”

“You don’t have to, you know.”

“But I want to.” Jimin continued to protest. He then turned to Jungkook, who was dumbly watching him whine at the other two. “Could you like… wait for a while?”

“Well… yeah. Sure.” The doe-eyed male nodded, and left the older on his couch and went over to an unoccupied one. Feeling exhaustion slowly take over him, Jungkook decided to take a short nap on the couch to make sure he was wide awake on their drive home.

 

 

Jungkook woke up to the feeling of a stiff neck. Groaning, he forcefully turned his head from side to side to get rid of the weird feeling, his brows knitting together at how his muscles refused to cooperate.

Once he opened his eyes, he was met by the view of Park Jimin still working on his laptop. The designer’s eyes were focused on the screen, his lips pouted in concentration. The faint light of the device illuminated his face, highlighting the sharp jawline that Jungkook have never noticed was there before.

He continued watching as Jimin leaned back on the couch and ran his small hand through his hair, which magically fell back in place once his hands were gone.

Sighing in content, Jimin let a small smile grace his lips as he reached for his flash drive and transferred the finished model before standing to give it to Hoseok.

The abrupt action snapped Jungkook back to reality, physically shaking the thoughts away from his mind before he forced himself to sit up straight.

The young CEO frowned at himself. Something was definitely wrong with him.

“Hey Jiminie, thank you so much for today.” Hoseok said to the other designer with a smile, a smile which said boy returned.

“No problem, hyung, I enjoyed it.” Jimin answered. He then turned to Jungkook and asked, “Kook, let’s go?”

“Yeah, it’s getting pretty late.” Jungkook answered, nodding. He disregarded the slight feeling of discomfort he felt when the elder suddenly addressed him. He and Jimin then turned to Seokjin, who was already ready to leave and rest for the day, and bid him goodbye before they got on their way out of the building.

But unlike the previous times that Jungkook had driven Jimin home, since the moment the two stepped out of Hoseok’s office, the atmosphere was instantly awkward. Since it was already late in the night, the halls of Pink Princess were eerily quiet, leaving the two to bask in each other’s presence.

The situation got even worse, however, when the two reached the elevator. Once the doors opened, the two, standing side by side, tried to enter at the same time, causing them to bump into each other. The contact made the two even more aware of the fact that it was the two of them.

Just the two of them.

“Y-You first.” Jungkook said, pointing to the waiting doors of the elevator. Jimin only wordlessly nodded at him and entered before him.

Even on their way out of the lift, the two just could not get themselves coordinated, still simultaneously trying to escape the suddenly-suffocating space. This time, however, Jimin let the younger out first, to which Jungkook had no objection to. Once out of the lift, Jungkook headed straight to his car and opened the door of the passenger seat for the older.

He, however, was met with a weird look from Jimin when the older got to the car.

“I can open the car door myself though.” Jimin mumbled to himself before entering the car, much to the embarrassment of the younger. Jungkook was too affected that he simply slammed the car door shut once Jimin was inside and proceeded to berating himself on his way around the car and into the driver seat.

Once inside, the first thing that the young CEO did was to turn the radio on to avoid the awkward silence that would fill the vehicle once he closed the door.

The whole drive was a lot better than their time in the elevator, since the radio helped a lot in alleviating the tension. Neither of them knew where and when the situation started, but all Jungkook knew was that he was messing up, and he was messing up big time.

He could not figure out why he was suddenly hyperaware of the older’s presence.

Fortunately for the two of them, they managed to reach the older’s place without any accident.

“Jungkook.” Jimin called the other’s attention, making Jungkook slightly jump in his seat. “You not gonna come inside?”

“Uhm… no.” Jungkook answered, opting to reach into his pocket to take his phone out instead of looking at the older. “H-Have a nice rest.”

“Okay, then.” Jimin replied, “Thank you… wait, didn’t you have something to tell me last night?” He suddenly asked, taking the CEO yet again by surprise. Just when he thought the night was over.

“Uhm… it’s nothing.” Jungkook lied. The apology can wait. He knew that in his current condition, he would not be able to talk to Jimin properly either way, so he would rather push the apology aside for the moment so he could recollect himself.

“Awww… come on.” The designer chuckled, hitting Jungkook on his shoulder.

The contact itself made the younger wince rather than the pain.

“N-Next time, maybe.” Jungkook retorted, putting his phone back to his pocket. He then put both of his hands on the steering wheel and said, “I’ll just tell you next time.”

“Hey, hey, Jungkookie what is this?” Jimin continued to insist, leaning on the dashboard to enter the younger’s view. “Why won’t you tell me?”

“Yah, Park Jimin.” Jungkook’s voice was uncharacteristically low. The older had almost forgotten the register had Jungkook not reminded him. “You’re forgetting I’m your boss, huh?”

Jimin straightened up in his seat, his smile falling off his face and being replaced by a guarded look. The same look Jimin gave him when they first made their deal.

The younger nearly wanted to punch himself for causing the suddenly change.

“S-Sorry, sir.” Jimin answered. “I’ll get going now. Take care.”

“Okay.”

And with that, Jimin got off the car and headed straight to his apartment without turning around to look at the younger even just once.

Along with the closing of the older’s door was the closing of Jungkook’s eyes as he let out a heavy sigh. With shaky hands, he forced himself to drive to just get out of the vicinity.

And along with the departure of the younger’s car, was the labored exhale of the designer once he was in the safety of his room. He clutched his chest in his small hands, and took a couple of deep breathes to calm himself down, confused as to why he was, in a way, hurt.

“Just when I thought we’re becoming friends.” Jimin mumbled to himself. “What’s wrong with him? Well, it’s not like I was expecting us to be friends, anyway.”

“So why does it hurt?”


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys! Here's another chapter for the story. Again, sorry for taking so long and yet receiving a crappy and relatively short chapter. I'm just a little bit too busy right now because of multiple commitments :)
> 
> So... expect the next chapter in like... I don't know. T_T I really am sorry, but promise I will finish this :)
> 
> So... here it is!

A week before the “big day”, as the young designer of Wings liked to refer to Pink Princess’s anniversary night. Park Jimin had been heading straight to the latter’s office daily instead of his employer’s. And even though it was a lot farther, he really did not mind. In fact, working for Pink Princess had been the most fun and most rewarding thing he had done in years.

The man was just about to enter the company building when his attention was drawn by a familiar voice. “Good morning, oppa!”

“Oh, Jihyo.” Jimin answered when he turned to face the smiling female as she was getting off a cab. “Good morning.”

“You walk all the way to here?” Jihyo asked, tilting her head to the side. “I saw you along the way when I stopped by the café near the park earlier. You were already on your way then?”

“Well, yeah.” Jimin responded as the two of them walked into the building together.

“Why are you walking, though? You live far from the office, right? You’re closer to Wings.”

“Well, for one, I don’t want to spend extra money for a cab.” Jimin answered. “I also like walking early in the morning. It’s the only exercise I get since I got employed.”

“Oh, right.” The voluptuous female agreed, nodding. “Maybe I should try that, too. I haven’t been feeling… fit lately.” She chuckled.

The two eventually reached the fabulous place that was Pink Princess’s design department. Jihyo quickly excused herself from the male in favor of rushing to her cubicle and arranging her stuff before going over to the coffee machine.

Jimin smiled. Jihyo and her addiction to coffee. Maybe that was why she literally did not run out of energy.

After greeting other people who were already in the place, Jimin proceeded to the department head’s office, where he had temporarily set up work since the start of his collaboration with Hoseok, who was dusting the windows when he entered the room.

“Good morning, hyung.” Jimin greeted the older. Said hyung turned to face the younger and smiled his usual million-watt smile.

“G’morning, Jiminie!” He slurred.

Jimin could not help but wonder—why did Hoseok look like every day was vacation day, like he was not tired at all? The young designer was almost sure that out of all of them, the older was probably the most exhausted, and yet his expression did not show any of such exhaustion. Meanwhile, Jimin basically cringed every time he faced the mirror to see the workload of the past days etched on his face.

It was not like he was that tired, actually. His face just tend to readily show how he felt.

And as Jimin started with his work, he looked outside through the glass wall of Hoseok’s office and smiled at the sight. Wheein and Hyejin had just arrived and instead of going straight to their own cubicles, they headed straight to Byulyi’s to bother the older. The bright smiles on their faces did not hide the fact that they, too, were tired, but they were enough to reassure Jimin.

Jihyo and Jeongyeon, too. They were already working, with the former standing beside the latter in her cubicle, Jeongyeon seemingly showing Jihyo something on her screen. They did not look as tired at the still-laughing trio of girls.

Jimin thought that maybe it was because of the thin layer of makeup on the two’s faces. Not that makeup was bad.

The boys were not as lively as the girls, on the other hand. But Seokmin’s smile was still contagious, as Jimin had quickly learned upon making friends with the younger. That smile was currently being directed at the youngest member of their team, Chan, who graciously received the cup of what Jimin assumed was coffee from Seokmin.

Jimin could not help but chuckle upon setting eyes at the said male. At last, someone who was a boy was shorter than him. It kind of pissed Chan off whenever they decided to gang up on him and tease him about it, but he never really took it personally.

Soonyoung and Joshua, on the other hand, just arrived at the same time, chatting animatedly. A quick glance at the clock on his laptop’s screen made him realize that the two were actually already late by a good five minutes—like they always were, but Hoseok never made a big deal out of it the whole time Jimin was with them.

And as Jimin began his work, he let out a contented sigh. Everyone was awesome, and though it may not seem like it, he truly felt like they did not look at him differently. Like he was part of the squad.

And for that, the designer was grateful for.

The Wings-based designer was in the middle of dimensioning the layout of the venue when phone vibrated in his pocket. Quickly saving his work, Jimin fished the device out of his pants and looked at the screen to see a text from none other than his self-proclaimed best friend.

 

> _From: Taehyungie_
> 
> _Jiminie! How are you doing there?_
> 
> _I miss you!!! It’s not fun here without you!_

 

Jimin could not help but smile at his fellow ’95-liner’s message. He easily answered the other’s text and hit send before setting his phone down on the desk to continue with his work.

 

> _To: Taehyungie_
> 
> _Tae… I miss you, too!_
> 
> _It’s fine here… We’re a bit busy, since the anniversary night is fast approaching._
> 
> _Why don’t you talk to Mingyu and Wonwoo?_

 

He certainly did not expect the reply from the taller, but it made him laugh a bit.

 

> _From: Taehyungie_
> 
> _THEY’RE NO FUN!!! YOU’RE 100 TIMES FUNNIER!_
> 
> _The only thing you lack is height. :)_

 

“Jungkook texted?” Hoseok suddenly asked when he noticed the younger laughing on his own while holding his phone.

“Oh, no, no!” Jimin answered, waving his open palm in front of him to emphasis. “It’s a friend from office.”

“Friend?”

“Yeah, friend.” The shorter repeated. “He’s really weird, in the best of ways. He texted just to say he missed me.”

“Oh, that’s so sweet of him.” Hoseok smiled. “You two must be really close.”

“Well, yeah. Our cubicles in Wings are right next to each other. And we hang out sometimes.” Jimin replied. “Oh, hyung, you’ll love him, I swear. His name if Kim Taehyung.”

Upon saying the name, Hoseok’s eyes narrowed at the younger, causing Jimin to mimic him in confusion. Did he already know him?

“Kim Taehyung?” Hoseok asked, as if testing the name on his tongue. Jimin gave him a nod of confirmation, the same confused expression on his face still there.

“Yeah, why?”

“Nothing.” The older answered. “Such a… rare name.” He continued sarcastically, his face returning to its default bright look.

“I know right?” Jimin chuckled, agreeing. “I’m not one to talk, though. There are like… a platoon of Park Jimins out there, boys and girls.”

And Hoseok just laughed at that.

 

 

The exasperated male slammed the folder containing the document he just finished reviewing onto the tabletop, and let out a tired sigh. A quick glance to the intricately-adorned wall clock above the door of his office told the bored CEO that it was not even lunch yet.

It was not even lunch yet, and yet he was already bored as hell. He had never realized it before—maybe it was because he had not seen any other alternative to his day, but now that something different was a part of his life, he could not help but think without the whole arrangement with Jimin, his life was a lot more boring.

His default life was boring.

Just like him.

He just wanted the day to end. Going to Pink Princess’s company building, fetching Jimin, and interacting with Hoseok and Seokjin had quickly become the highlight of his daily life. The latter two were fun people. Jungkook loved talking to them about just anything, and since he was not so much of a conversationalist, it worked for him that the two just could not run out of things to say. It was overwhelming, at times, but Jungkook figured that he could get used to it.

Jimin though.

Jimin was different. In a way that it makes the young CEO feel like a dick every single time he says something that wipes away the smile on the elder’s face. He was way too angelic when he smiles—he was cute, Jungkook could admit. The same way that babies were cute. Just like how puppies and kittens are cute.

They were off to a very rough start. But the doe-eyed male could set that aside for a while if that meant he could keep Jimin as his friend at the end of everything.

Sighing once more, Jungkook picked the phone up from his table and started typing a message to the elder.

 

> _To: Park Jimin_
> 
> _Hey. How’s work so far there? Is everything alright?_

 

“Isn’t this too casual?” Jungkook asked himself when he re-read the text, tilting his head to the side. They actually still were not in good terms since that night he unnecessarily… lashed out on the designer. He could still feel the tension between them during their ride home when Jungkook fetched the older and takes him to his tiny apartment.

And what was even more awful for Jungkook was the fact that whenever Jimin and he separate for the night, all the latter tell him was a “thank you” and a “take care”. One time he was lucky enough to receive a rather forced “good night” from him, but that was it.

“And since when did that even bother me?” Jungkook asked himself again, shaking his head at his own thoughts and proceeding to send the message even before he could chicken out. “It wasn’t like it’s entirely my fault. He was being annoying that night, too.”

Moments later, he received a reply from the elder. In the form of a selca of him smiling, with Hoseok also holding a “peace” sign in the background. Such contagious smiles.

It just made Jungkook want to meet them already even more.

Finally not being able to take it any longer, Jungkook dialed the phone number of the person he needed to talk to for the moment.

It only took two rings for the recipient to answer the phone.

“Yes, sir?” Momo’s voice sounded through the speakers.

“Do I still have remaining appointments for the morning?” He asked, tapping his finger impatiently against the table.

“Oh, wait a second, sir, I’ll check.” She answered. After a good five seconds, she continued. “None, sir. The next one will be 3:30 in the afternoon, a presentation by the marketing department.”

“Oh, thank god.” Jungkook sighed in relief. He then stood up from his chair and grabbed his things before informing about his departure for lunch and thanking the confused Momo on the other end of the line and hanging up.

He then sends another text message to Jimin before stuffing his phone back into his pocket and leaving his office to go to the basement parking lot.

 

> _To: Park Jimin_
> 
> _I’m going there for lunch._
> 
>  

The way to the Pink Princess’s company building was long, and since Jungkook decided to set out at a relatively busy time of the day, he was met with the heavy traffic flow of Seoul. It did not piss the CEO off the way heavy traffic usually did—if anything, he was even more satisfied with his current situation than his situation in the office. The traffic would not kill him, at least. But he was rather certain boredom would.

It was already lunch time by the time he reached his destination. Jungkook headed straight to the design department which he had been frequenting, thanks to the efficacy of his and Jimin’s plans, and arrived to see said male talking to who Jungkook remembered were Pink Princess’s design department employees.

The instant the alien CEO stepped foot into the office, what seemed like animated and loud chatters inside suddenly died down as everyone snapped their heads to the door, their faces bearing similar confused expressions. For a good three seconds, it was like that. Just when Jungkook thought Jimin would come to save his sorry awkward ass, Hoseok decided to do it instead.

“Hey, Jungkookie!” Hoseok shrieked as he bounded to the still frozen male. “You’re just in time for lunch! Missed your boyfriend?”

“Boyfriend?” Whispers then started floating on the air, everyone commenting among themselves, trying to guess whose boyfriend the newcomer was.

“H-Hyung!” Jungkook timidly objected. Judging by the heat on his face, he could tell that he was already red as a tomato. It was not too late to change his mind about Hoseok. The long-faced man was a devil.

“Hyung, stop teasing him.” Jimin suddenly butted in, rushing to the flushed male’s side and hooking his arm around Jungkook’s. “You know Jungkookie gets flustered easily.”

“Oh! It’s Jimin-oppa’s!” Jihyo interjected, clapping afterwards and motioning to an exasperated-looking Jeongyeon with her hands, as if signaling her to give her something. Did they have a bet or something?

“Wow! You guys look great together!” Seokmin commented. The other people in the office were quick to agree to what the man said and proceeded to teasing the two.

“Omo, your height difference is adorable!”

“What a snatch, Jimin-oppa!”

“Hey, Jimin-hyung’s not that bad, either!”

“Yeah, but Jeon Jungkook’s a CEO, right?”

“It’s not like that matters!”

Pink Princess’s resident designers continued to banter among themselves about the two already-embarrassed males still awkwardly standing by the door until the department head decided that all the teasing was enough—for the moment—and gathered everyone into the conference room for lunch, inviting, or more like forcing, Jungkook to eat lunch with the crew.

“Seokjin-hyung’s eating with us.” Hoseok said to the two before heading out again and going straight to the telephone to order extra food for the additional unexpected guest.

Not long after, Seokjin arrived and quickly greeted everyone. As expected, he, too, was surprised by the presence of the other CEO.

“Oh, Jungkook, you’re here?” He asked with a smile as he took his seat between Jungkook and the reserved seat for Hoseok.

“Yeah… I got pretty bored in the office.” The younger answered.

The two CEOs continued talking with each other as Jimin scanned the people around him. As usual, everyone was engaged in talking with each other about random things certainly not related to work. But when Jimin’s eyes landed on Wheein, he could not help but feel intrigued.

The girl was staring.  _Again_.

At Jungkook this time.

It was the same look that Wheein kept on giving him the first time he came into the office. Jimin figured that the girl maybe was always like that—she tended to stare at strangers. She was known in the office as the most observant person in the department, exceeding even that of Hoseok’s skill, but not quite that of Jimin’s, when it came to designs, seeing that he still managed to see errors in design elements previously approved by everyone prior to his arrival.

When the food arrived, Hoseok distributed the orders to the respective people, with Jungkook receiving a package Hoseok himself had picked for him.

“Try it. You’ll like that.” The department head had said to him when he handed over the food. “I think.”

Jimin loudly sniffed in the smell of his food, and smiled, knowing by the aroma that he made a good choice today. He then quickly reached for a bottled water as he continued scrutinizing his dish with his eyes, only to retract his hand when felt someone else’s.

“Sorry, sir.” Jimin mumbled when he recognized whose hand it was. He was about to reach for another bottle when he realized what he had just done.

He had called Jungkook “sir”. In front of everyone.

And everyone noticed, since they were currently giving the two of them weird stares.

And if Jungkook’s shook expression was anything to go by, Jimin knew he messed up. Real bad.

“Oh my god, don’t bring your roleplaying here.” Wheein suddenly said, causing the whole table to erupt into ab loud laughter. As expected, Jungkook began flushing a deep red once again at the implication of what the girl had said. Jimin was, too, but he was more relieved that they were not caught.

“Y-Yah, Jung Wheein! It’s not like that!” Jimin defended himself, opting to grab his spoon and try to let the topic pass.

But who was he kidding? He was with Pink Princess’s design department and its CEO. Jimin loved them and all, but they were just pure devils when it came to relentless teasing.

“It must be awkward for you to call him ‘sir’ in Wings, huh, Jiminie.” Seokjin said, smirking at the said male and wiggling his eyebrows at him for added effect. “You know, it’s kind of hard to concentrate at work when you keep on remembering the things you do outside the office and behind closed doors.”

“Yeah, must be hard, indeed.” Hoseok added, making everyone laugh out loud again. Well, everyone except for the two people they decided to bully.

“I-It’s not like that!” Jungkook whined, hiding his face in his hands, his exposed ears the only telltale sign of just how red he already was. “E-Excuse me.” He added when he could not take it anymore before standing up and rushing out of the conference room to get some fresh air.

“Oh god, you guys.” Jimin sighed, shaking his head in disapproval before standing up as well to follow the younger outside.

When he got outside, he saw Jungkook standing in front of the large air conditioning unit in the office, his very red face right in front of the vent for the cold air. Jimin could tell the younger was breathing heavily, from the way his shoulders went up and down and his chest puffed in and out.

“Such and innocent boy.” Jimin mumbled to himself before going to the still-perturbed man and giving him a pat on the shoulder.

Bunny boy visibly flinched at the contact.

“Hyuuung.” Jungkook whined when he faced the other, who only smiled at him. “I’m so sorry… I’m just not used to those kinds of talks and teasing and whatnot. I can’t even watch kissing scenes in dramas. Oh god, I’m so lame.”

“Oh come on, it’s alright.” Jimin answered as he continued to pat the younger. “You’re improving, I should say. I was worried you were going to go back to Wings just because of Wheein’s teasing.” He chuckled.

Seeing him now, Jungkook could not help but feel even sorrier for putting the two of them into an awkward situation that night. Jimin was such a nice person.

He  _had_  to apologize.

“Hyung—”

“Yah! You two!” Seokjin’s voice suddenly cut Jungkook’s words, interrupting his apology. The said male then walked towards the two. “Come on, let’s eat. I’m sorry about that, Jungkook. We were just having too much fun.”

“It’s no problem, hyung.” Jimin answered instead of the younger, who was still not a hundred percent alright. “Jungkookie’s just… shy. That’s all. He gets shy really easily when it comes to non-business things, so… yeah.”

“Yeah, you don’t have to feel bad about it, hyung.” Jungkook reassured.

“Thank god you’re cool.” Seokjin sighed before turning on his heels and starting to walk back to the conference room, where everyone else was waiting.

Jimin followed suit and started walking back to eat lunch, but he was stopped when he felt a tug on his hand. Confused, he turned around to see the younger smiling softly at him. It was a different smile. No, not different physically—it was still resembling of a bunny, but this time, it was just… different. That even though the younger did not manage to finish what he was trying to say, it was like Jimin  _knew_.

Like Jimin  _understood_.

And so he just smiled back and nodded, hoping that it was enough of an answer for Jungkook. And judging by the widening of his smile, it was, indeed, enough.

“Oh my god, we’re sorry, Jimin, Jeon Jungkook-ssi.” Wheein apologized the instant the fake couple reentered the conference room.

“Nah, it’s fine.” Jimin answered before looking at Jungkook, who reclaimed his seat beside him and was finally looking fine again.

“Yeah, we’re cool.” Jungkook added, smiling at the female and starting with his meal. After the first bite, he took a glance at his companion beside him, and smiled when he was met with Jimin’s eyes looking back.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!!! So... here's another chapter of the story! I 'm so sorry for not being able to update for a very long time. I got so, so busy, and really, I still am. In fact I have an exam tomorrow evening, an exam I have not studied for yet. So pray for my soul :(
> 
> Anyway, here;e the new chapter! I was originally going to extend this until the end of the part, but it got too long, and I would need like four or five thousand more words to finish. But I wanted to update you guys already, so I cut it here.
> 
> Enjoy!!

 

The rest of the week went by like a blur for the young designer.

Park Jimin was enjoying it a little bit too much, in his opinion. The work was great and rewarding—there was always progress, thanks to the effective operations of their rather small but productive team. Day by day, they saw their concepts and designs coming to life.

The people he was working with were even better. Hoseok, being the sweetheart that he was, always made sure to compliment everyone, including Jimin, when it came to their work and outputs. His small gestures of appreciation never failed to make Jimin’s day, no matter how tired his body or mind was at the end of it. His other officemates were stressed, yes, but they always wore that small, comforting smile, as if telling Jimin that they just _knew_ that they were going to pull through.

Four days before the anniversary night, the supplies all arrived in their department. For immediate and total control over the details of the venue, the team had decided to oversee and actually work hands-on on the design. The rooftop garden where they decided to hold the event was a lot bigger than they could handle, but they had staff to help them with setting up.

Even with all the progress, however, Jimin still could not shake off the uneasy feeling that he felt—a feeling that only grew as the days went by, sometimes even stealing hours from his already-deprived sleep. What if the wind on the rooftop garden ruined their designs? It was not only going to put their efforts to waste, but it would also jeopardize the company, which would be having investors as guests, of course. Or what if it rained? They already checked the weather forecast for the whole day of the anniversary, and it was fine. But then again, he never really trusted the weather men. What if it rained on the night of the event itself?

And he being the addition to their team and actually the one person who proposed and pushed the idea of holding the event in a rooftop garden did not help. Not at all.

When he had told Hoseok about this, the man simply chuckled at his worries, and gave him a pat on the head.

“You worry too much.” The older had said. “It’s good, though. We need someone who could stay on high alert even when everything is going according to plan. And that someone is you.”

He got the same response when he had told his actual boss, Jungkook, about it. The younger only smiled at him and told him that he was entitled to feel how he felt, but also reassured Jimin that they would surely do great.

_Jungkook._

The boy who had been adding to the mentally-exhausted male’s worries. After they reconciled during that lunch with the design team of Pink Princess,  the originally-troublesome and moody male’s behavior had gotten a lot nicer, to the point that he had the older feeling… things. It just kept on getting worse, and being the busy man that he was, poor Jimin could not even have time for him to think things through.

It was like he was falling down a spiral staircase. And he could not do anything to stop it.

But no matter how wrong it was, no matter how many times Jimin mentally reprimanded himself for not doing anything to stop it, every single night that the younger came by in the department, dressed handsomely in his long-sleeves and slacks, with his coat hanging over his shoulder, the light and warm feeling settling in his chest kept on coming back.

But his feelings could wait. He could settle them once his deal with said man was over.

 

Jimin sighed and closed his eyes. He then took a couple of deep breathes before opening them again and straightening his back in front of the mirror, and smiling.

“You have a long and big day ahead of you, Jimin.” He said to himself out loud. “Fighti—ahh!”

The startled male clutched his chest and panted, afterwards turning his head to glare at the offending device on his bed. “God… I really should start drinking less coffee.” He mumbled as he reached for his still-blaring phone, unlocked it, and turned the alarm off. “And I really gotta remember to turn off the alarm. It’s useless anyway.”

Despite him not getting enough good night sleep, Jimin still woke up ahead of his phone alarm, only for it to sound when he least expected it to. He had turned it off a few days back when he had enough of embarrassing screams of surprise early in the morning, but he quickly turned it back on the next day after he woke up late for work.

Damn his alarm and his body’s great way of torturing him.

Jimin was still sleepy, but the looming anniversary night was enough to keep him on high alert. He sped through his usual morning routine—take a bath, double check contents of his bag, recharge his phone a bit, and dress up. Since it was a special day, he also decided to add something that usually was not part of his morning preparations, breakfast. He had bought a pack of instant coffee, bread, and instant oats the night before specifically for what he was sure was going to be a hectic, but fulfilling and fun day.

Tonight, his, Hoseok’s, and the rest of the team’s efforts were coming to life. They were finally going to see it all realized.

He deliberately took his time finishing his food and trying to enjoy the first breakfast he had had in days before he brushed his teeth to leave for Pink Princess.

Since he knew that the day was going to be long for him and the crew, Jimin decided to conserve some energy and actually took the cab all the way to the office. Yes, it was very taxing on his tight budget, but he could spend some just for today. A few extra thousand won would not hurt, he supposed. And besides, thanks to his slow breakfast-eating, he was surely going to run late for work if he walked like he usually did.

Because the traffic was not all that heavy, Jimin made it to the office three minutes before eight—earlier than he had anticipated. Throughout his whole stay in Pink Princess, the young designer had made some friends, friends who he greeted as he walked along the halls to get to the elevator and the design department afterwards. Just when he was about to leave.

It made him feel bad whenever the thought crossed his mind. Just when he had managed to actually make good friends out of the people in the company, his collaboration with Hoseok and his team was about to end.

“After tonight,” Jimin said to himself just before he entered the department. “There won’t be any more reason to stay here.”

The crestfallen boy sighed. He was still composing himself when the door opened to reveal a grinning Hoseok.

“Oh, Jiminie, you’re here!”

“Well… yeah.” Jimin nodded, surprised. “Good morning, hyung.”

The older must have noticed the difference in Jimin’s behavior when his face contorted to that of puzzlement. “Are you alright?”

“Uhm… yeah.”

“Oh, you’re nervous, aren’t you?” Hoseok chuckled. “Well… I am, too.”

“Wait, I though there’s nothing to worry about?”

“Well, yes. Really, everything’s going smoothly.” The older answered. “But Seokjin-hyung just gave me the list of all the personalities who were confirmed to come later tonight. And I’m telling you, the list was making me nervous.”

Upon hearing Hoseok’s words, Jimin’s heart rate immediately went up in nervousness. The former let out a laugh when he noticed the anxious expression that was suddenly plastered on the younger’s face.

“Hyung!” Jimin protested, hitting the older’s chest lightly. “You’re not helping!”

“Share the burden, my little friend.” Hoseok responded before sauntering off to the hallway, leaving Jimin to protest once more over being called “little”.

 

 

“Momo.” Jungkook called the attention of his secretary as the two of them walked out of the board room after a meeting. Among the more important agenda in the said meeting was their partnership with Pink Princess, about which Jungkook only gave a glimpse of.

“Yes, sir?”

“Have you double checked our confirmation to Pink Princess’s anniversary night?” He asked. He gave the employees who greeted him along the way a small nod of acknowledgement as the two of them reached the special elevator.

“Yes, sir.” The girl answered. “They have even replied, indicating that they received our confirmation. I have already printed the details, sir. Do you want it on your table later?”

“Yes, please.” Jungkook answered. There was a short moment of silence before the man continued. “Come with me later to the anniversary night, okay?”

“Okay, sir.” Momo answered. Once the two of them reached the topmost floor, the two parted ways for the female to grab a copy of the details her boss was asking for. Jungkook, on the other hand, headed straight to his office and sat down on his chair.

The office was quiet, as usual. The deep breath that he took sounded loud in the silence of the room. Turning around on his chair to face the computer screen, the doe-eyed male groaned at the time reading on the device.

“Oh god… why is it so slow?!” He ranted, facepalming himself in frustration. He had been bored with his office recently, but the prospect of an elegant and fun night was making his boredom worse.

It was killing him.

“I bet that guy’s having fun right now with the team.” Jungkook mumbled. He envied the older, who he was sure was enjoying his time with Pink Princess’s design team. Jimin looked so tired every night when he fetched him. But despite that, the look of fulfillment in the older’s eyes was undeniable.

And to be honest, Jungkook was proud of him. But he would not tell him that.

It was just too bad Wings would not know of his achievement. Not that Jimin would mind, Jungkook thought. He knew the older was not all about fame and recognition. He was all about work and appreciation.

_Or wait._

Maybe he could actually bring people with him to the anniversary night? People who would know how to make Jimin feel appreciated.

People who actually knew him.

Snapping his fingers, pleased with his idea, the young CEO grabbed his phone and quickly called his secretary to his office. When the girl arrived, she was bringing with her the document that Jungkook asked for.

“Oh, put it on my table, please.” Jungkook gestured to his tabletop, prompting the woman to come closer to put the folder on the table. “Can you call Min Yoongi and Kim Taehyung to my office?”

“Min Yoongi, the music department head, sir?” Momo asked, to which the boy nodded to.

“And Kim Taehyung.” The boss added. “Park Jimin’s officemate in the design department.”

“Oh, okay, sir.”

Momo then bowed before leaving the office to do the task. Once she was gone, Jungkook grabbed the file she brought and began reading it.

While he was on it, memories of the last time he had talked with the pale musician crossed his mind, sending shivers down his spine. Kim Taehyung was not really someone Jungkook thought he should worry about, but Min Yoongi was a completely different matter. The man _terrified_ Jungkook.

But despite that, the reputable man was known to be a very rational and reasonable person. Jungkook knew Yoongi was not going to do anything that could jeopardize anyone.

Moments later, the doorbell to his office sounded, indicating the arrival of the people he was waiting for.

“Who is it?” Jungkook asked through the intercom.

“Min Yoongi, sir.”

Jungkook let out a sigh. It was to be expected—Yoongi’s floor was closer to his than Taehyung’s, so it stands to reason that he would arrive first.

But still, the CEO would have liked it more if there was someone else in the room with them. Someone who could call the ambulance in the case Min Yoongi decided the murder him. Or maybe the cops.

“Good morning, sir.” Min Yoongi addressed the younger once he was inside the office, proceeding to take a seat on the chair near the younger’s table. “You called me, sir?”

“Oh, yeah.” Jungkook replied, trying his best to sound assertive. “We’re still waiting for someone else from the design department, so for the meantime, make yourself comfortable.”

“Thank you, sir.”

After the brief exchange, silence once again filled the room. And while the pale male did not seem to mind it, Jungkook did. But instead of trying to strike up some conversation about business or anything else relevant, he decided to pretend to be busy reading the details of the anniversary night.

“Jimin.” Yoongi suddenly said, causing the younger to slightly jump in his seat. “How is he doing?”

“Oh… he…”

“I still am against this whole thing.” Yoongi continued, not even waiting for his boss to finish talking. “I am not doing anything only because Jimin asked me not to interfere.”

“Yes, he’s doing great.” Jungkook answered. “Our deal’s about to end, anyway, so it will be all over soon.”

“For you, that is.”

At that, Jungkook raised his brow in confusion. The older’s words did not make that much sense to him.

“What do you—”

He was about to ask the older about what he meant with his words when the doorbell sounded again.

“Kim Taehyung, sir!” A deep, but energetic voice sounded through the intercom when Jungkook turned it on, and even though it was but a brief moment, he could almost swear he saw Yoongi stiffen when the newcomer introduced himself.

Upon unlocking the door, the male’s bright smile figuratively filled the room when he entered. After a few steps, Kim Taehyung suddenly stopped in his tracks and pointed his fingers at the other visitor. “Oh, Yoongi-hyung?”

“H-Hi, Taehyung.” Yoongi answered, waving at the younger. He did not see the weird look Jungkook suddenly gave him because of his sudden change in behavior.

“You knew each other?”

“Well, he’s Jiminie’s friend, so it only makes sense that we know each other.” Taehyung chirped. It was as if he was not talking to the head of the company he was working at.

“Oh, I see.”

“Well then, I’m assuming he’s the other person we were waiting for?” Yoongi asked, gesturing to the other male who had already occupied himself with the figurines.

“Yes, he is.” Jungkook answered. “Then I shall start. Kim Taehyung-ssi, please take a seat.”

The said boy snapped his head towards the younger at an alarming rate, a blank look on his face before complying and taking the seat opposite the music head’s. Once the two were settled, Jungkook placed the details of the anniversary party on his desk, and pushed it towards the other two.

“I was thinking of taking the two of you to Pink Princess’s anniversary party later tonight.”

“Yaz!!!” Taehyung suddenly exclaimed, clapping his hands and immediately reaching for the folder to scan its contents. “I was actually thinking of asking you if I could come, but I don’t think that would be necessary.”

“What?”

“You know, as Jiminie’s friend,” Taehyung continued, ignoring the look Jungkook was giving him. “I really think I should be there to, how do you put it… appreciate, his efforts for the past, what? Two weeks?”

“Exactly why I called you here.” Jungkook nodded, smiling at the thought to knowing Jimin to the point of thinking the same way as Taehyung, who was undoubtedly closer to the short designer that he was. “I wanted to bring people close to him to the event so there would be people to support him.”

“Wow, for someone who’s just using him, you’re quite kind.” Yoongi butted in, yawning afterwards and pointedly ignoring the glare the CEO gave him, and the puzzled look Taehyung wore.

“Using?”

“Anyway,” Jungkook interjected, trying his best to change the topic as fast as he could. The scoff from the oldest of the three did not go unnoticed, but the CEO knew better than to dwell on it. “I’ll be asking Momo to bring the two of you a copy of the details later. Let’s just meet again here in the office before going there, okay?”

“Understood.” Taehyung and Yoongi chorused. Farewells were then exchanged among the three before the older two left the office to go back to their respective tasks.

Once they were out, Jungkook could not stop a sigh from escaping his lips. Yoongi did not have to put it that way.

He was not _just_ using Jimin.

 

 

“Wheein,” Hoseok struggled to get his voice to the other side of the rooftop garden. “When was the last time you checked the weather forecast for tonight?”

“Just a while ago.” The girl answered while she, Hyejin and Byulyie continued to discuss among themselves the locations of the electricity outlets and the adjustments that needed to be done. “Still clear, sir.”

“Okay!” The department head answered. “Jihyo!”

“Oppa!” Jihyo responded, running towards the older to talk to him more comfortably. “What is it?”

“ETA of crew?”

“Twenty minutes from now.” She answered, checking the watched on her wrist. “That would be 3:30 PM.”

“Okay, good.” Hoseok nodded in understanding. “Please call Jimin here. I need to talk to him.”

“Okay.”

Jimin was in the middle of receiving the packages of supplies and design elements when his phone rang, prompting him to pull it out of his pocket and answer the call.

“Hello?” He asked, putting the device back to his pocket and putting in both buds of his earphones into his ears for ease of hearing. He then continued signing the papers after Jeongyeon and Seokmin finished checking the contents of the boxes.

“Jimin-oppa.” Jihyo’s said. “Hoseok-oppa wants to talk to you. Please come to the rooftop.”

“Okay. Thanks, Jihyo.” Jimin answered. He then removed his earphones and turned to the other two. “Hoseok-hyung called me to the rooftop. Would you be alright here?”

“Who’s gonna sign the papers?”

“Jeongyeon, do it.” Jimin answered, giving the clipboard to the said girl before heading to the elevator of the building and heading to the rooftop. Once he arrived, he headed straight to the long-faced man’s spot.

“Hyung, you called me?”

“How are the supplies doing?”

“So far, so good, hyung.” Jimin answered. “Another batch will arrive later.”

“Good.” Hoseok nodded. “Did Joshua-hyung report to you about the fireworks?”

“Yes, hyung, they’ll be here at 4:00 PM.”

“Good.”

The older then let out an exhausted sigh before speaking again. “It’s almost over, Jiminie. You did great.”

“Everyone did great, hyung.” Jimin answered, smiling. “We worked so well together.”

“Yeah…” The department head nodded. “We will miss you, Jiminie.”

“Aww, come on, hyung! Not now!” The younger protested, laughing as he hit the older’s shoulder. “I’m gonna cry if you continue!”

“Okay! Okay! Not now!” Hoseok answered, chuckling at the shorter’s emotional personality. He knew Jimin was an extremely emotional person. He loved to tease the younger about being a cry baby during their breaks—something that Jimin intensely denied even though he knew it was true.

They were surely going to miss working together. Or just being together, in general. Over the course of less than a month of knowing each other, Jimin and Hoseok have already formed a great friendship.

The manpower the team was waiting for arrived twenty minutes later, just as Jihyo had reported to Hoseok. They went straight to briefing the team on what to do to complete the designs and actually prepare the venue for the event before doing the tasks assigned to them.

Jimin accompanied the personnel back to the ground floor of the building to pick the supplies and bring them to the rooftop. Given that there were lots of boxes delivered, it required them a few trips up and down the service elevator before the managed to secure everything. Once all the materials were sorted, the team, along with the staff, started their work.

The stage and the sound system, courtesy of Wheein, Hyejin and Byulyie, was setup in accordance to their carefully-prepared plan which took into account all the electric sockets, pathways, all other setups and the live wires that they needed taped onto the floor of the garden.

Through the careful calculations of Joshua, Jihyo and Soonyoung, they also placed the multitudes of fireworks that they wanted to light up the night sky for the majority of the duration of the event. They were placed far enough from the building that they did not endanger the ears of their guests, but still close enough for the night lights to amaze people on the rooftop.

Chan, Seokmin and Jeongyeon did their best on executing their plans for the placement of the tables, chairs, the carpet and the flower-adorned fake pillars. Under the supervision of their department head, Hoseok, and careful watch of Jimin, they managed to take into account all possible happenings for the night—from the path of the guests upon entering the garden, the place where they could socialize, the path for the crew, to the route to and from the stage.

The whole afternoon was busy, but the team knew better than to completely exhaust themselves. Seokjin have asked the small team to stay and join the celebration, and in order for them to have fun and enjoy their efforts, they had to have a little more energy remaining after all the preparations.

“Jihyo, how are the fireworks doing?”

“Completely ready.”

“Wheein, the stage and technical?”

“Up and running.”

“Jeongyeon, was the design followed?”

“A few adjustments have been made to make room for errors, but all is well.”

“And Jimin?”

Hoseok lastly asked, turning to his right to face the said male. He gave the shorter a bright smile before asking, “Are you ready?”

The young designer looked around him to meet the gazes of the people he had worked with for the past days. All he got in return were the happy expression everyone was sporting. Though exhaustion was evident, as shown by the bags under their eyes and the sweat on their faces, they looked like something else.

They looked _accomplished_.

Turning his attention back to the man who had started it all, the man to whom Jimin thought he owed such wonderful experience of working with the design team of Pink Princess, the man whom he thought he owed for the great, new friend he had made, Park Jimin finally smiled, his eyes crinkling to small crescents and his cheeks bunching up.

“Yes.”

“Good. Thank you, Jiminie.” Hoseok said, sincerity laced in his voice. Jimin was surprised when all of a sudden, he and the rest of the team gave him a small bow.

“Y-Yah!”

“Oh my god, Jimin-hyung’s crying again!” Seokmin exclaimed, causing everyone to laugh. But not without engulfing each other in a warm group hug.

“We did great guys!” Hoseok cheered, making everyone jump up and clap in agreement. “Tonight, we will have lots of fun and enjoy the fruits of our labor! Let’s all go back to our department and prepare!”

“Oh my god, I’m so happy right now.” Wheein said, wiping fake tears with her fingers and causing everyone else to laugh again. “Let’s now design ourselves! Pink Princess design department—”

“—And Park Jimin of Wings,” Seokmin cut in, pointing his two index fingers at the said male, who was still smiling widely.

“Yeah, and Park Jimin of Wings.” Wheein continued, correcting herself. “Fighting!”

 

 

Jungkook came out of his office’s bathroom, clad only in his bath towel, after taking a shower in preparation for the anniversary night. The lights in his office were all turned on to compensate for the darkness caused by the closed blinds. He cast a look towards the red tuxedo and red pants he was planning on wearing for the night.

The young CEO could not help but smile at the memory that started flashing in his mind.

_“S-Sorry.”  Jimin muttered his apology even before he was completely up from the floor. “A-Are you alright?”_

_“Yes.” The man answered, now shaking off the invisible dust particles on his red suit and pants that Jimin deemed more expensive than his life._

_“I’m sorry again.” Jimin bowed down in apology before turning on his heels to continue walking to the elevator. It was alright, really, if he just did not catch the sharp and harsh words muttered by Mr. Red._

_“I get that his eyes are small, but he can’t be too blind. Even blind people won’t run into me that easily.”_

_He could not believe his ears. Did Jimin just hear the man putting all the blame on him? And not just that – he flat out insulted Jimin._

_Unfortunately, though, Jimin was never one to stay quiet at times like this._

_“E-Excuse me? What did you say?” Jimin asked, turning to face the man again._

_Mr. Red scoffed, riling Jimin up more. He really did not care if the man was filthy rich. He was raised well by his parents, so he was not going to let anyone step on him like that._

_“I said,” the man started, taking on a smugger pose. “that you can’t be too blind to bump into me.”_

_“Ah, the nerve…” Jimin mumbled to himself. “Yah! Are you seriously blaming me on what happened? It was an accident, okay? We both did not see each other.”_

_“If you were careful enough, you wouldn’t have collided with me. But you weren’t only blind, you’re also careless… Ahh… I wonder what a person like you is doing here.”_

_Oh._

_“I could say the same thing to you.”_

_“I can’t be bothered. I’m too busy I don’t even understand why I’m letting you waste my time.”_

_Jimin sighed. He always wondered how rich people live. If it was like how this man did, then he would rather live a simple life._

_The brat was rude._

_“Listen here, Mr. Red.” Jimin started, getting really worked up. “I don’t know how your parents raised you. It was an accident, and the least you could do was accept my sincere apology a while ago and just shut that insolent mouth of yours. Now I don’t care how much money you have in your bank account, I am not afraid of you. And if anything, you should be scared one here, because that attitude of yours would make you end up alone.”_

_The flash of a scandalized look on the rude man’s previously stoic face was reward enough for Jimin. “Now, I won’t waste any more of your time, Mr. Menstruation Suit – ”_

“Mr. Menstruation Suit.” Jungkook chuckled to himself. It was weird how the memory which previously riled him up every single time was now making him laugh and feel nostalgic.

The young man’s reminiscence was interrupted when the phone on his office table lit up and dinged, indicating the arrival of a new message.

 

>  
> 
> _From: Cinderella_
> 
> _All is set, sir. See you later._
> 
> _And congratulations in advance._
> 
>  

“Congratulations in advance?” Jungkook’s eyes narrowed at his phone at the vague massage of his contact. What was that even supposed to mean?

“Maybe she’s congratulating me for the collaboration… ah, we’re so great. Always one step ahead.” The young CEO felt pride bloom within him as he put the device back down onto the table before going to his chosen outfit for the night and donning it.

Keeping track of the time, Jungkook finished his preparations a good hour and a half before the scheduled time of the event. After making sure that everything in his office was fine, he left for the company lobby where he had agreed to meet the other two.

However, to his dismay, he only found one of them on the ground floor.

“Taehyung’s late.” Yoongi immediately said once his boss was close enough. “He said he’s sorry.”

“Oh god,” The younger groaned, resisting the urge to run his hands through his styled hair. “Of all times, why now?”

“He’d probably be here anytime now, don’t worry.”

“Isn’t that guy afraid of losing his job or something?” Jungkook asked. “He’s the same troublesome employee from the design department, right? And now, he’s running late for an appointment _with me?_ ”

“Well, knowing Taehyung, maybe he isn’t.” Yoongi stated matter-of-factly. Silence ensued right after he answered the younger’s rhetorical question—an uncomfortable one, at least for the doe-eyed male who had never been at ease around the older since he learned that he knew about his arrangement with Jimin.

“What happens,” Yoongi started again, causing Jungkook to look at him abruptly. “Once your deal with Jimin is done?”

It took a few moments before the CEO opened his mouth to answer. “Uhm… nothing, I guess?” He answered, nodding to himself. “We go back to the usual employer-employee thing.  Professional stuff. Before you actually found out about this whole thing, we had agreed to never tell anyone about it. But then again, that part failed, so yeah.”

“What are the terms of this arrangement?”

“Things started off bumpy between us, actually, the two of us bumping in the hallway on the day of his interview, I think.” Jungkook smiled, once again remembering the whole incident. “So I agreed to let go of all of that. I also promised a large increase in his salary. That one, I actually think he deserves. The guy works really well.”

“And then?” Yoongi asked, wanting to know more of the deal from the other party.

The younger looked up to the ceiling, trying to remember more. “Well… the money… ah! We also agreed to not fall for each other.”

“Oh.”

Yoongi nodded in understanding. Just as expected.

“That one won’t be a problem, really.” Jungkook chuckled. “I’m straight, and he sort of despises my behavior, so… there.”

“And what happens if that… I mean any of the contracts is breached?”

“Hmm…” The CEO thought for a moment, not really remembering any terms that provided for the punishment scheme. “We really haven’t talked about that yet. He actually already breached one when he told you about this—”

“It’s not his fault, I’m just good at catching on things and he’s terrible at lying, well, at least to me.”

“Yeah, he explained that to me already.” Jungkook said. “Well, I don’t know. I don’t really think any of the other contracts would be broken.”

“But what if one does?” Yoongi asked suddenly, turning his head to meet the gaze of the younger and hold it. “What happens if… hypothetically, one falls for the other?”

The boy’s doe-eyes, which were already big on their normal state, grew a bit larger at the question. It was for a brief moment, though, since the CEO immediately fixed his expression just as fast as it had changed.

“We’ll… figure something out, in the event that it happens.” He answered, nodding. “Though I just about sure nothing of that sort would happen.”

“Oh really?” Yoongi asked, still looking at the younger, who suddenly grew uncomfortable under the strong gaze. It baffled him how the older, despite his height and frame, managed to be so intimidating even for someone as well-versed and experienced in the corporate world as him.

One, two, three seconds passed since the pale man posed the question towards his boss, and he was yet to give a reply. Just when Jungkook was opening his mouth to answer, a loud, booming voice resonated inside the deserted lobby.

“Hello guys!” Taehyung shrieked, entering the lobby calmly and with class—a stark contrast with his carefree, loud enunciation. “I look great, don’t I?” He asked before turning gracefully on his heels to give the other two a full view of his attire.

“Can’t deny that.” Jungkook admitted as he fixed himself to prepare to leave. “It that attire the reason why you’re late?”

“Oh, don’t be too dramatic, I wasn’t that late,” Taehyung answered with a full grin. “Sir.” He added after a moment, before turning to the oldest of the three. “Why so quiet, hyung? And by the way, you look great! Not as great as I do, but somewhere up there.” He laughed before turning again to face the entrance, failing to notice the red that colored the pale man’s ears.

Momo arrived a little bit later after Taehyung’s arrival, complete with her stunning—in Jungkook’s eyes—dress and rushed apologies for running a little bit late.

“It’s okay, you’re not that late.”

“Wow…” It’s okay for Momo-ssi to arrive later than me, when you basically roasted me just a few seconds ago for arriving earlier than her?” Taehyung rolled his eyes at the younger.

“Okay, now that we’re all here, we should get going.” Jungkook announced, pointedly ignoring the taller’s remark and walking ahead of the other three. “We wouldn’t want to be late for the anniversary night.”

Deciding not to waste any more time by bantering, the four headed straight for their respective vehicles, with Yoongi and Taehyung going to their own self-driven cars, and Jungkook and Momo to the company’s special vehicle reserved for corporate night events.

Thankfully for the group, the traffic was with them, as they arrived a little bit early at the venue even though they left a little later than planned.

“Good evening, sir.” A man who they assumed was a clerk in the establishment greeted them as soon as they stepped foot into the lobby. “Are we here for ‘Night of a Thousand Stars’ anniversary celebration of Pink Princess?”

“Yes.” Jungkook answered, prompting the man, who still bore an obviously tired and rehearsed smile, to lead the way to the elevator leading to the rooftop garden. Along the way, they passed by other people in formal night attire.

“Uhm… do we know those guys?” Taehyung asked as when the four of them were finally in the confines of the elevator. It was a long way up, since the building was a skyscraper.

“Nah… I don’t think we actually _know_ them.” Yoongi answered, shrugging. “I think they’re heads from other companies.”

“Ahhh… I don’t like them.” The younger groaned. “They’re scary.”

“Hearing that from someone like you is unbelievable.” Jungkook commented, side-eyeing the taller male as his secretary busied herself with her phone. “You’re basically insulting me lately like I am not your boss.”

“Well,” Taehyung shrugged. “Jiminie said you’re kinda nice, so I guess it’s fine.”

“He said what?”

“And… we’re here.” Taehyung chanted happily when the door of the elevator opened, saving him from having to answer the CEO’s question. He was gone even before the party could stop him, off to probably find his best friend.

After recovering from the initial shock from being ignored by his employee, the doe-eyed male was immediately taken aback by the scenery before him.

Right in front of the door of the elevator were arcs decorated with flowers and leaves leading to the main area, where tables were setup. The pathways were carpeted—and every now and then there were seemingly stone pillars with light coming from underneath them. There were flowers on top, of course, probably due to Seokjin’s request, but despite that, they did not look too much.

Fairy lights hung from the branches of the three trees on the rooftop garden, adding to the ethereal feel of the place. The red, purple, blue, and green searchlights situated at the corners of the garden were creatively concealed by a group of plants and flowers, and were held steadily pointing upwards to the cloudless sky. Smoke machines emitting small amounts of smoke were also situated right beside the searchlights, making the light beams more visible, as if they were pillars of light.

And the stage. The stage was not brightly lit—it was just sufficiently so, thus it did not really stand out from the rest of the place. Like it was not made to be the center of attention. There was not even a backdrop. Right behind the stage was spectacular view of the horizon.

“J-Jimin-hyung… designed this?” Jungkook stammered, not believing his eyes. It was then that he understood just how skilled the elder was that someone as meticulous as Yoongi let him into the company.

“Well, not really _just_ him.” Yoongi answered, smiling. He remembered the first time he had seen Jimin’s work in person, back in college. He was just as mesmerized as Jungkook was. “But really, this is very much his aesthetic. That’s _Park Jimin_ for you.”

“Oh my god…”

“Yeah, yeah, you can thank me for hiring him later. Not now—Oh my god what is Taehyung doing?!” The music department head exclaimed when he noticed the said male staring at the decorated tree with his mouth wide open. He then rushed towards the younger, leaving Jungkook with Momo.

“Sir…” Momo mumbled, stepping forward to get a better view of everything. “It’s… beautiful.”

“Yes, it is.” Jungkook agreed. And apparently, most of the people in the venue thought the same, since their phones were out to snap photos of almost every single setup. He turned to look at the female who was already in the middle of taking photos of the place. “Momo… you enjoy the night.” He said. “You don’t have to stick by me side. I’ll call you when I need you.”

“R-Really, sir?” The girl asked, happiness shining in her eyes. All she needed was a nod of confirmation from her boss before she went on her own way to look at the whole place.

And then, Jungkook was alone. He continued looking around the place, taking in every minute detail in the design, trying, and failing to find a failure.

“It’s… perfect.” He said to himself, smiling softly. “Jimin-hyung did so well.”

“Oh my god, Jungkookie!” A shrill voice snapped the young CEO out of his wonder, making his abruptly turn his head to look at the source.

“Hoseok-hyung!”

“You’re here already?” The man asked as he approached the two. He was already in his midnight blue tuxedo, and his hair was styled away from his face, exposing his bright forehead. “So… what do you think of the venue?”

“Hyung, it’s… beyond words.” Jungkook answered sincerely, looking around him, still in wonder of the setup. He had almost forgotten the other male after a few moments of looking around, had said male not asked.

“Looking for Jiminie?” Hoseok asked, surprising the younger.

“Well,” Jungkook answered, looking to the side to think. Really, he was not actually looking for the short designer, but now that Hoseok have mentioned him…

“Aww… so sweet.” Hoseok cooed, smiling at the apparent shyness the younger had. “Anyway, Jiminie’s still preparing. He volunteered to use the bathroom last, such sweetheart.”

“Yeah… so kind.” Jungkook agreed, nodding.

“You’re a lucky kid to have him, Kookie.” Hoseok noted. Silence then ensued between the two, with only the soft sound of the background instrumentals filling the still air. After a few moments, Hoseok spoke up again.

“Anyway, Jungkookie, follow me to your reserved seat!” He said, afterwards leading the way through the other guests who have already arrived. They continued walking up until they reached one of the two front most tables.

“Your seat’s here.” Hoseok said, pulling a chair away from the table to offer to the guest. “We’re just about to start, so wait up, okay?”

“Okay, hyung.” Jungkook answered, taking a seat on the chair pulled out. He pointedly ignored the stares that most of the people gave him when he occupied the front seat, choosing to turn on his CEO mode and exude his usual authoritative aura. And whip out his phone to check his social media accounts.

“Oh good lord, everything just looks so great!”

Jungkook looked up from his phone upon hearing the familiar deep voice that had bothered him for the day. He was met with the sight of Taehyung walking to their table with Yoongi and Momo behind him, still looking around like a child who got into a mall for the first time.

“Can’t agree enough.” The girl agreed as she once again put her phone up to snap another photo.

“I never realized I missed seeing his designs until now.” Yoongi added, happiness evident from the stark contrast of his face with his default scowl. The three of them then took their seats, with Momo seating beside her boss, followed by Taehyung and by Yoongi. Between the pale male and Jungkook, was an empty seat.

“We have one extra seat?” Momo asked, pointing at the unoccupied chair.

“It’s reserved for Jimin, I guess.” Taehyung answered, taking a glass of water from the service crew carrying a tray full of it. “He should be joining us soon. Where is he anyway?”

“Hoseok-hyung said he volunteered to be last to use the bathroom.” Jungkook answered. “He’s probably still grooming up.”

“Hoseok-hyung?” Taehyung repeated, not familiar with the name.

“Oh, the design department head of Pink Princess.” The CEO answered, recalling that he was probably the only one who knew the older. “The one under whom Jimin-hyung worked for this.”

“Oh.” The three chorused in understanding.

“But really though, where’s Jimin-hyung? What’s taking him so long?”

“That guy really takes a long time preparing.” Yoongi answered. “I remember that one Saturday I was waiting for him outside their house. His mom said he just finished taking a bath when I got there. We ended up leaving an hour later.”

“That long?”

“Yeah, Jimin tends to fuss over his appearance a lot. That’s his insecurity.”

“What? He’s insecure with his appearance?” Taehyung asked, baffled by the information.

“Yeah.” The oldest answered. “He tries his best to hide his insecurities now, but back then, he used to keep his head low so he could not attract any attention.”

“Oh my god…”

“Oppa,” Momo interrupted, leaning over the table to get closer, and with a soft voice, asked. “You and Jimin-oppa seem so close, huh?”

“Yeah, you guys really do.” Taehyung added. “I guess you were his best friend from the past.”

Yoongi chuckled, taking the other two aback. “Did Jimin really not tell you? Especially you, Taehyung?”

“Tell me what?”

“That I was Jimin’s ex-boyfriend?”

The two immediately backed away upon receiving the new information, with Momo holding her hand over her own mouth in shock, and Taehyung backing away too much that he ended up making his chair tumble back.

It made quite a scene, with all the noise and the corporate people looking at him, but the eccentric boy did not seem embarrassed by it at all.

“Oh my—really?” Taehyung asked, his eyes wide. Yoongi only gave him a nod as a response. “Wah! You guys look great together! Maybe fate was trying to put you guys back together?”

“Y-Yah!” Yoongi protested, straightening his back. “I-It’s not like that, Taehyung! He already likes someone new.”

“Yeah, I kinda know that already.”

“And I…” The pale man trailed off as decided to take interest at the closest pillar. “I kinda… like someone else, too.”

The younger gasped. Too much new information in the span of less than an hour. “Oh my gosh—who is it?! Tell me!” Taehyung asked, only to be met by silence from the older. He then continued to bug Yoongi about his crush until they were interrupted by an unfamiliar presence.

“Jungkook.”

The table turned silent upon hearing someone call their boss’s name. Said boss, on the other hand, turned his head to see Seokjin approaching their table, sporting a huge, satisfied smile.

“Hyung.” Jungkook said, standing up to hug the older. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks.” The taller answered. He then looked over Jungkook’s shoulder to see the other occupants of their table.

“Oh, they’re important people in my company.” Jungkook said, stepping aside slightly to give a better view of the place. “She’s Hirai Momo, my secretary.”

“Good evening, sir.” The girl said as she stood up to bow to the new arrival. “And congratulations.”

“Thanks.”

“And this is Kim Taehyung from the design department. He’s Jimin-hyung’s best friend.”

“Kim Taehyung, sir!” Taehyung bowed to the CEO, smiling. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you.” Seokjin answered. “But by the way, are you alright? I saw you like… from the entrance.”

“Ah, I’m fine, sir. Thank you for the concern.”

“And this is Min Yoongi, the head of our music department.” Jungkook introduced the last man, who also took his turn in greeting and congratulating Pink Princess.

“And he’s also Jiminie’s ex!” Taehyung added, shocking the rest of the table, especially Yoongi, whose traumatized expression quickly turned to a glare.

“I’m quite sure you’re not supposed to tell people you just met that, Taehyung-oppa.” Momo mumbled, smiling at the pale male who was shooting daggers with his eyes.

“So…” Seokjin trailed off, unsure of how to proceed. “You’re Jiminie’s ex?”

“Uhm… I guess.”

“He’s Jiminie’s ex.” The oldest of them all said once again, this time towards the youngest. “You came here. With Jiminie’s ex.”

“Y-Yeah.” Jungkook stammered, wanting nothing but to punch the oldest’s teasing smile. “Why?”

“Nothing.” Seokjin chuckled. “Jimin’s still preparing, I guess? Just wait, we’re about to start.”

“Okay, hyung.”

And with that, the broad-shouldered man left the group, opting to take a seat on one of the chairs around the central front row table, just beside Wings’s.

A few moments after Seokjin’s departure, the music ceased, in turn silencing the chatters that almost everyone was engaged in. The emcee who stepped up the stage cleared his throat before starting.

“Ladies and gentlemen, good evening.” He said with his emcee voice. “And here in rooftop garden of Starlight Events Tower, we welcome you to the anniversary celebration of Pink Princess Corporation,” He paused, before looking up to the sky and continuing, “Night of a thousand stars.”

Right after he said it, the music started again, followed by the shooting up of numerous fireworks display from all directions, filling the night sky with colorful sparkles that were nearly on the same elevation as the rooftop garden.

The crowd, composed of people from the business world, could not help but erupt into a round of applause and sounds of amazement, because just when they thought the place could not get any better, it just did.

“So this is how Jimin does things when he’s got lots of budget.” Yoongi nodded to himself, still amazed by the beauty that his old friend managed to create. “It’s… beautiful.”

“Oh my god, Taehyung-oppa, are you crying?” Momo asked, surprised but at the same time amused by the sniffle the said male emitted when the fireworks went up.

“N-No I’m not!” He denied, rubbing the tears away from his cheeks, making the girl laugh. “I just… got something in my eye.”

“Jimin-hyung…” Jungkook said to himself as he watched the darkness of the night sky get filled with the reds, greens, yellows, and blues of the firecrackers. He watched as the golden sparkles of some of the explosions burst out in all directions, only to fall back down in a rain of grace.

He let his eyes wander the place once again, in an attempt to find the person—that for some reason—he wanted to see the most for the moment. He scanned left and right, and around him, trying to look for a particularly short man.

And just when another stream of golden sparks flew up right above them, he saw _him_. 


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, readers! I'm back with a new chapter for this story! Again, sorry for taking so long... college life sucks, as usual. There are like... two to three exams every week, and it's honestly getting old. Good thing this week is relatively a lot lighter for me :)  
> So... I have quit my part-time job as a tutor, and also quit my student organizations because of my emotional and mental state. So in order to give myself as much breathing space as I could, I removed all possible stress-inducing things in my life which I could remove, and focused only on the things that I enjoy doing and the things that matter the most. That's why I now have a little bit more time for this story. :)
> 
> So... without further ado, here's the new chapter! I hope you guys enjoy it! Though since I always take long breaks between writing sessions, I tend to commit mistakes (both in technical stuff and plot-wise). Feel free to comment on those! Be nice though... don't roast me ahahaha

 

It was just like how it was in fairy tales—the way Jimin walked out of the door and into the open as golden sparks flew behind him was something that seemed straight out of the movies. The young designer looked around him with a blank look on his face, expressing that of both exhaustion and satisfaction, his lips slowly curving up to a smile upon realizing just how beautiful everything turned out to be.

Jungkook watched as the scene before him played in slow motion. The weird, unhuman sound possibly emitted by Taehyung barely registered as his eyes failed to undo their fixation towards the petite male.

However, the trance was broken when a collective gasp by the rest of the place’s occupants momentarily drowned the sound of the fireworks when suddenly, the designer, who was previously walking with immense aura and poise, tripped over thin air.

“Oh my god, it’s Jiminie!” Taehyung shrieked, getting out of his chair and zooming past his boss to get to shorter, who was being helped by the other men in suits surrounding him at the moment. Jimin flashed the people around him a smile of mixed gratitude and embarrassment as he rose back to his feet.

“Jimin! Are you alright?” Taehyung asked all too eagerly, making the slightly older male internally question if he really was worried for him or he was just fussing too much, like he always did. “Did you hurt your ankle or anything?”

“I’m fine, Tae.” Jimin answered, smiling. “It’s just my pride that is wounded, if anything.”

“Well, that’s good to hear.”

“What?”

“Come on, Yoongi-hyung and the others are waiting for us.”

“The others?”

“Just… ugh, stop asking and let’s go.” The taller answered, taking the other’s much smaller hand and practically dragging him away from the scene. Once they got to the table assigned to their company, Yoongi immediately started clapping slowly.

“What a way to make an entrance, Jiminie.” Yoongi smirked. Said male resisted the urge to punch him.

“Seriously though, Jimin-ssi,” Momo asked, reaching over the table to touch Jimin’s arm. “Are you hurt anywhere?”

“I’m fine, Momo-ssi, thank you for the care.” Jimin answered, shaking his head to assure the girl that he was fine. He then turned to the pale musician and frowned. “Unlike someone I know, who wouldn’t even ask if I sprained my ankle or anything.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Jerk.” Jimin retorted, rolling his eyes before smiling once again upon sight of a blue-colored pyrotechnics. “Wow… it’s so pretty.”

“I know right?” Taehyung agreed, afterwards turning his attention to the table’s youngest occupant. “Sir, you haven’t spoken in a while. Are you alright?”

“Huh?” Jungkook asked. “Ah… yeah, yeah. I’m fine.” He answered, nodding. He then turned to Jimin and smiled. “You did well… Jimin-ssi.”

Being clueless of the actual situation, Jungkook’s way of addressing the older did not faze the secretary at all. However, it was different for the boys. Taehyung, beign someone expressive, visibly winced at the unfamiliar and formal honorifics. Yoongi simply let out a sigh, while Jimin’s smile faltered for a brief moment before he got back to his senses and smiled once again.

“Thank you, sir.”

“Y-Yah! Jiminie!” Taehyung interjected all of a sudden. “You didn’t even tell me Yoongi-hyung was your ex?!”

At that instant, the whole table turned their heads towards the tall male in surprise. The scandalized look on Yoongi’s face did not seem to bother him at all, while Momo and Jungkook just wanted to pretend that they did not know the older.

“What are you saying, Tae?” Jimin asked, confused. “You already know about this… why are you acting like you don’t?”

“What?”

“When we were hanging out in the mall, remember?” The shorter explained, taking a swig from the glass of water in front of him. He then followed the clear glass dome that started closing above them with his eyes as he continued. “You said Yoongi-hyung already chatted you about it.”

“Wait…”

“Know that you’ve mentioned it, I actually remember telling Taehyung about us before.” Yoongi said, his brows furrowing. “Yes! I remember telling you about it!”

“You… told me?” The darker male asked, pointing to himself. Yoongi only nodded to him in response. “But… I don’t remember? Maybe you didn’t?”

“It isn’t something you can just forget casually, Tae.” Jimin countered. Right after he spoke, the crackling sounds of the fireworks died down as the place was fully enclosed by the clear glass to give way for the sound system without removing the visual stimuli.

“Well, I do remember you telling me about your relationship with s—mmmmffkk!”

“Nevermind, Tae! Let’s not talk about this anymore!” Jimin instantly butted in, covering the younger’s mouth with his hand and smiling at the people around him. “Did you also forget me telling you that it’s a secret?” He whispered to the man’s ear, while Taehyung struggled against his hold and continued to voice out incoherent muffled words.

“Jimin-ssi, you have a new boyfriend?” Momo asked enthusiastically, silencing everyone else. “Wah… you guys are so lucky.”

“N-No! I don’t have one.” Jimin quickly denied, grimacing at his friend who decided that the best way to get out of Jimin’s hold was to lick the palm covering his mouth. “And you can call me Jimin-oppa or something… it’s not like were still strangers. You always come to my cubicle anyway.”

“Alright, alright.” Momo agreed, nodding. “Jimin-oppa.”

“That’s more like it.”

Shortly after their conversation, the emcee once again resumed the program and proceeded to thanking and acknowledging the different corporate institutions that attended the event. Considering the fact that Pink Princess was a monster company, there were _lots_ of guests from various partners and potential partners, Wings included. The competing company was also present in the event, with their table also beside Kim Seokjin’s table, only on the other side.

“And now, to grace us with his thoughts, here’s the CEO of Pink Princess. The one and only, the gorgeous,” He paused upon hearing the chuckles of amusement from the audience. “Kim Seokjin.”

Upon mention of his name, Seokjin stood up from his seat, along with everyone else, and climbed up the stage as the guests all clapped for him. He quickly thanked the emcee before immediately taking in charge of the stage.

“Ah… what a warm welcome. Thank you ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats.” He smiled, motioning with his free hand for the audience to sit back down. “All this applause is pumping up my ego.”

And with that, the guests laughed. If not for the extravagance of the venue and the suits and dresses that everyone donned, the anniversary dinner could be mistaken for a casual friendly event and not a formal corporate event, because as much as Kim Seokjin was known for being a really efficient and influencial businessman, he was also a very warm and light-hearted person.

Once the people were settled, the broad-shouldered man proceeded to thanking everyone once again and explaining the theme of the event. He also complimented the execution of the design plans.

“I would like to thank Pink Princess’s design team for such a job well done.” Seokjin stated in front, turning to face Hoseok and the rest of the design team who were gathered around one table. “Jung Hoseok and everyone, thank you. Let’s all give them a big round of applause.”

Upon mention of their team, the people around the table stood up from their seats and proceeded to bowing down to everyone who not only clapped for them, but also muttered words of appreciation for the ethereal design.

“And of course, there’s no way I would forget.” Seokjin continued before turning again to face Wings’s table. “I would also like to thank Park Jimin of Wings for helping the design team throughout the whole preparation. Without your help, this event wouldn’t have been this successful.”

Then, another round of applause resounded inside the venue as Jimin shyly stood up from his seat and quickly gave everyone a bow of gratitude for their appreciation of his help.

After thanking the design team, the CEO then continued on sharing about the struggles that the company faced, as well as its successes and good times. Towards the end of his speech, Seokjin mentioned the possible partnership that they would be forming with two companies whose names he did not mention.

“The two companies will be presenting their final proposals next week, and I could already tell that it will be one hell of a competition.” Seokjin announced, and even though it really was not something to laugh about, the people still chuckled lightly at his statement, everyone knowing full well what the man was talking about.

“So… I won’t take any more of your time. Again, thank you for coming, and to the two companies,” He paused, raising his brow and looking around the venue to meet the gazes of the said companies—one being Jungkook. “Good luck. Enjoy the rest of the night.”

And with that, Seokjin took a step back and began bowing down to everyone as the guests once again went up on their feet and gave the man a big round of applause.

After the CEO’s speech, the rest of the night was filled with socialization and music from famous performers. As expected of him, Jungkook proceeded to talking with the officials of other companies to build rapport with them and scout possible future ventures. His secretary, Momo, stuck with the other guys for the night and bonded with Taehyung, Jimin and Yoongi.

“You’ll be back in our company starting tomorrow, right?” Taehyung asked. “It’s starting to get really lonely in our department without you around!”

“Yeah, I’ll be back starting tomorrow.” Jimin answered. “And stop making it look like I’m a key person in the department or something. I barely even talk with other people when I work.”

“Well, yeah, but with you around, it still feels different.” The taller retorted. “At least Yoongi-hyung keeps me company at times.”

“Oh really?” Jimin asked, raising his brow and turning his attention to the said male, who was nonchalantly looking around the place.

It took a few moments of silence in the table before Yoongi snapped his head back to face his ex. “What?”

“So,” Jimin trailed off, smirking. “You visit our department from time to time?”

“It’s not even from time to time, Jiminie.” Taehyung butted in. “I actually asked him if they had nothing to do in their department. He’s basically taken residence in your cubicle.”

“Really?”

“Y-Yah… what are you talking about?” Yoongi countered, internally wincing at the fact that he just stuttered. “It’s not like I’m there often or something.”

“Just admit it, hyung.” Taehyung smiled. “You just miss Jiminie! Oh my god!”

The instant Jimin’s name rolled off his tongue, said male sputtered on his drink, causing both him and Taehyung to grab their napkins and wipe off the liquid that managed to spray out of his mouth. He quickly mumbled apologies to the other occupants of the table along with a few coughs before Jimin let out a small laugh.

“Wow… that’s rather funny. Nice one, Tae.” Jimin said, clapping his hand slowly to applaud the “joke” that he was referring to.

“What? It’s not a joke!” The tanned male answered. “What other possible explanation could you think of? We’ve been in Yoongi-hyung’s office—you know that it’s too good there that he won’t leave it and come to your cramped office cubicle just for the sake of it!”

“Yeah, yeah, I know that.” Jimin agreed. “But it just so happened that I know Yoongi-hyung likes someone else now. And I know who that someone else is.”

“Shut the fuck up, Park.”

“What? Afraid of getting exposed?”

“Now I kind of get it why you guys broke up.” Momo commented, causing Taehyung to laugh and hold his hand up for a high five.

“Are you guys having fun?”

The whole table turned their heads towards the source of the question.

“Hyung!” Jimin suddenly shrieked, standing up to greet the older. “I miised you!”

“Yah, Jiminie, we just saw each other like… three hours ago.” The older chuckled. “Jiminie, thank you, again, for the help.”

“It’s nothing, hyung.” Jimin responded. “And besides, I learned a lot from you and the others. The past few weeks have been the best experience in my career so far.”

“Wow… way to go to make me feel special, Jiminie.” Taehyung complained, causing the rest of the table to erupt in laughter.

“Oh, Jiminie,” Hoseok suddenly said, remembering the reason why he came to their table in the first place. “The team actually asked if you wanted to come to our table and join us for a while.”

“Of course, hyung. I’d love to.” The shorter answered. “Is it alright if…”

“Of course, Jimin, you can go.” Yoongi answered. “Besides, we’ll be seeing you again in the office starting tomorrow anyway.”

“Yeah, yeah, Yoongi-hyung’s right.” Taehyung added. “But, take me with you. I want to meet your new friends.”

“Yeah, that’d be great.” The long-faced man said. “So, let’s go?”

And with that, the three went on to meet the rest of the design team of Pink Princess. When they arrived at the table, Jimin could not help but smile at the sight of everyone chatting animatedly with each other over plates of deserts and appetizers.

 “Hey it’s Jimin-oppa!” Jihyo remarked when she noticed the three approaching. “Come here, oppa! We saved a seat for you!”

“Aww… thank you, guys!” Jimin answered, touched by the simple gesture. “Oh this guy’s name is Kim Taehyung.” He added, motioning to the said man who was nearly a head taller than him. “He’s my office mate and close friend in Wings.”

“Hello, I’m Kim Taehyung. Nice to meet you all.” Taehyung introduced himself. “Thank you for taking care of my friend while he was away.”

“It’s no problem, Taehyung-ssi.” Wheein answered, smiling. “And besides, it was more like him taking care of all of us. Such a thoughtful person.”

“Ah… it’s nothing. You guys just seemed so stressed and tired.”

“Oh, by the way, hyung.” Seokmin butted in after swallowing a sip of wine in his mouth. “Your… boyfriend’s here, right?”

“What kind of question is that even? Of course he is!” Hyejin answered. “There he is.” She continued, pointing to the said CEO’s general direction with his lips.

“Oh my gosh, you guys know about it, too?” Taehyung asked in surprise, to which the people around the table answered with nods and hums. “And yet you don’t want me to tell others?”

“I don’t want you telling others _in the company_.” Jimin corrected him. “It will be very uncomfortable for everyone if news comes out that our boss is dating one of his employees.”

“Oh my god, just imagining it makes me cringe already.” Byulyie agreed, faking shivering motions with her shoulders. There was a brief moment of silence after that before Taehyung spoke up again.

“Hey, hey, did you gusy know?” He started. Everyone turned to listen to what he was about to say. “Jiminie’s ex-boyfriend also came with us today!”

“Kim Taehyung!!!” Jimin protested, hitting the grinning male quite strongly on the shoulder. “Did you really have to—”

“Really?!”

“Oh my god this is great…”

“Omo, where is he?”

“Here’s the pale one drinking wine from a glass right now.” Taehyung answered happily, pointing to the sail unknowing male, ignoring his best friend’s protests and violence.

“Ooh… he’s quite cute.” Byulyie commented, afterwards sharing a high-five with Hyejin and Wheein. “Eyyy… Jiminie grabbing all them cute boys out there.”

“D-Do you really have to put it like that—yah! Kim Taehyung! I hate you!” Jimin shrieked, continuing to hit the said male with both his arms. “Just you wait until tomorrow you moron. I’ll make you suffer.”

“Oooh… scary mochi.”

“Jiminie…” Hoseok suddenly whispered, nudging the shorter with his elbow and pointing behind him with his lips. “Your Jungkookie’s watching.”

“What?” The younger’s eyes flew wide open in surprise before turning around to take a look. And true enough, the young CEO was looking at him as one of the men he was speaking to continue to talk.

And even though Jeon Jungkook was not smiling, for some reason, Jimin felt good about meeting his gaze. His lips involuntarily curved slightly up as he acknowledged the CEO’s attention with a nod, which the younger returned with the same gesture.

“Woah… what was that?” Chan asked, looking back and forth between the two. “Why did that look so… romantic?”

“I know right!” Joshua blurted out, totally agreeing with the younger’s observation. “Yah, Jimin.”

Said male snapped his head back to the table upon registering the voice calling out his name. “H-Huh?”

“Chan said,” Joshua said, propping his head up on the table with his arm. “That you and Mr. Jeon looked romantic just a while ago.” He then smiled at the other man and blinked his eyes rapidly, as if he was trying to act all pretty.

“What?” Jimin answered, raising his brow at the accusation. He then turned to Chan, who was also grinning. “You’re too young to think about those things, Chan.”

“But I’m already—”

“Blah blah blah…” Jimin teased, covering his ears to spite the younger. Chan only scowled at him in return as the rest of the table laughed.

 

 

Jungkook continued to watch the older even when he turned around to talk with the rest of the design team of Pink Princess. He could not help but smile when Jimin covered his ears with his small hands and lolled his head from side to side, as he taunting.

“Mr. Jeon?” The deep, confident voice calling out his name snapped him back to his current situation, causing him to drop the fond smile that he was sporting.

“Yes? I’m sorry, I spaced out for a little while.” He answered, smiling apologetically. “What were you saying?”

“I said,” The man, who was clearly older than Jungkook by at least a good decade, started again. “That it’s quite surprising that Wings and Pink Princess haven’t had any partnerships yet.”

The younger CEO simply nodded at the statement. “Yes, actually.” Jungkook responded. “That is why when we learned about Pink Princess venturing into modern electronic design, we made sure to strike a deal with them.”

“So you’re competing against OB Corporation, then?” The older man asked. Jungkook only nodded.

Soon after, the other CEO’s secretary came to whisper something in the man’s ear, prompting him to excuse himself from Jungkook in favor of attending to the request of another company head. The younger gracefully acknowledged the request and proceeded to going back to their table once his companion was gone.

Once he got back, the only people around the table are Momo and Yoongi. The former immediately noticed his presence, and being used to attending to the younger’s needs, she immediately stood up and gave a small bow to her boss.

“Do you need anything, sir?”

“No, no.” Jungkook smiled, shaking his head. “I already told you, just… enjoy the night.”

In response, the girl gave the CEO a wide smile as she nodded in understanding. The smile in the man’s lips grew at the sight as he took his seat and looked over to the music department head.

The smile he was wearing fell down upon noticing the older’s expression.

“Min Yoongi-ssi.” Jungkook called his attention. “You look so bored.”

“I’m not bored, though.” Yoongi answered, stoic expression on his face unmoved, without even spared the younger a glance.

Jungkook was displeased.

He waited a few moments for the other to continue speaking, but seconds later, it was clear that the conversation was already over even before it started.

Jungkook scoffed. “You’re so boring… I don’t understand what Jimin-hy—” He paused, remembering that he was not supposed to address Jimin in such a familiar manner in front of other employees. And while Yoongi already knew about their arrangement, Momo did not.

And boy, did Jungkook want to hide it the most from the girl.

The CEO cleared his throat dramatically before continuing. “I mean… I don’t understand what Park Jimin-ssi found in you.”

“Actually, I don’t know either.” Yoongi answered, smiling to himself at the thought. There were certain times in the past that he asked himself the same question. Because really, him and Jimin were like polar opposites. While Jimin was all warm smiles and energetic conversations, Yoongi was all about cool image and reserved disposition.

Reaching for his wine glass, Yoongi looked up and took a look at the younger, who was currently looking at the side, as if he was watching something. The pale male raised his brow at the rare sight before following the younger’s gaze.

_Jimin._

At the end of the trail, Yoongi found the said male laughing with Taehyung and the rest of the design team of Pink Princess.

When posed with the question of what Jimin saw in him that they got together in the past, Yoongi could not come up with any answer. But there’s one thing he was certain—if people asked him what he saw in the designer that made him want to fall in love with the man, the first thing that always came to his mind was the younger’s smile. The million dollar smile that always made him feel like he could conquer everything. The bright eyes that turned into small crescents whenever he smiled genuinely. The cute cheeks that bunched up akin to that of babies’.

And even if Yoongi never looked at himself in the mirror in the past whenever he was lost in staring at Jimin’s smile, he could bet that he looked just like how Jungkook looked at the moment.

“Uh… Momo.” Yoongi called the secretary’s attention with a soft voice, leaning closer to her. “Can you like… get more food for us?”

“Of course!” Momo answered, immediately standing up to oblige happily. After all, she was just waiting for an excuse to get more food.

“Take your time picking food, okay? Get the things that you like.” He added, to which the girl only nodded enthusiastically as a response.

Once the girl was out of earshot, Yoongi turned his attention back to his boss.

“Do you like staring at Jimin that much?” He asked out loud, smirking when his question effectively penetrated the younger’s concentration.

“Huh?”

“I asked, do you like staring at Jimin that much?” Yoongi repeated his question, internally laughing at the very brief, but definitely there, moment of hesitation in Jungkook’s face. “At Jimin and Taehyung, I mean.”

“No!” Jungkook answered. “I mean… no. I was just watching out if they mess something up. It’s a big event, after all. And seeing them all happy like that kind of worries me. You know, people tend to get careless when they get carefree.”

Yoongi nodded at the younger’s well-thought of answer. He knew it would not be easy to catch Jeon Jungkook off-guard. So instead of pressing issue further, Yoongi just let it slide.

“What?”

“What?” Yoongi asked in confusion, tilting his head to the side at the younger’s sudden question. “I wasn’t saying anything.”

“Yeah, with your mouth, you’re not.” Jungkook answered, irritation slightly evident in his young features. “But I can basically hear your thoughts from here.”

“How is that even possible?” Yoongi asked, raising his brow at the younger. “Tell me, what do you hear?”

The challenging stare that the musician gave the CEO did not go unnoticed—rather, it was something that the younger was used to taking on, and so the two spent next few seconds completely immersed in each other’s stare.

A few seconds past, and Jungkook spoke again.

“You don’t believe me.”

All that Yoongi gave him in reply to the accusation was a shrug, to the agitation of the younger.

“Well, at least Jimin-hyung’s more interesting than you.” Jungkook replied in an attempt to spite the older. Seconds passed, and along with the appearance of the smirk on Yoongi’s lips, Jungkook’s doe eyes widened even more upon realizing the implication of what he just said.

“Y-Yah… what I meant was—”

“Food’s here!” Momo’s voice cut the CEO’s protest, forcing him to hold back the words he so wanted to spit to the older’s face. His knuckles were turning white from clenching his fists in irritation over Yoongi’s smirk which only grew when the secretary arrived.

Deciding not to dwell on the matter, Jungkook resorted to letting the older win for the time being. He shifted his attention from the still-smirking male to the now-eating girl beside him, who seemed so happy and invested in the crispy pork belly she managed to acquire.

Jungkook sighed. At least Momo and her generally cute and happy aura saved the night.

 

 

“Oh my god, I love them.” Taehyung said to his companion as the two of them approached their table. “The girls were hilarious! And also, the boys were rather cute.”

“Tae!” Jimin protested, glaring at the still-smiling boy. “Will you stop saying things in inappropriate places?”

“What? It’s not like I’m lying.”

The shorter sighed in defeat, opting not to push the topic as they were already in the company of the other three. Jimin took his seat beside Momo, who was still eating, and joined her in plowing through the crispy pork belly.

“Wow… this is delicious!”

“I know right!” Momo agreed. “Pork is the best.”

The designer only hummed in agreement as he picked another piece. A frown made its way on his face when he turned around to see Yoongi not eating anything.

“Yah, hyung,” Jimin called the attention of the pale male. “Here.”

“I’m not hungry.” Yoongi answered, smiling and refusing the offer. “I’m fine.”

“Awww… come on, hyung!” The younger insisted, reaching over in front of Taehyung and nudging the musician’s lips with the piece of food, playfully trying to place the treat in his mouth. Yoongi only stuck in tongue out and slightly licked the food before closing his mouth again.

“Yah… why don’t you want to eat?” Jimin complained, giving up. “Nevermind, I’ll just eat everything with Momo.” He continued before eating the piece of pork he tried to feed Yoongi with.

“How about this?” Taehyung asked, reaching for the breaded pork and offering it to the shorter. Jimin turned his head to watch, only to be disappointed when he saw Yoongi open his mouth—rather cutely—an receive the meat the other offered.

“Yah! What is this discrimination?!” Jimin shrieked, glaring at Yoongi, who only shrugged at him and smiled. “You’re doing this to me? Just because you li—”

“Park Jimin-ssi.” Jimin’s complaints were cut short when the boss called him out. “Can’t you keep it down and behave a little bit more properly? This is still a formal event, you know?”

And just like that, Jimin retreated to his seat with a small pout on his lips. He mumbled a few incomprehensible words before grabbing another pork belly and aggressively munching on it.

“Ah… what a child.” Yoongi sighed.  He then stood up and went behind the shorter boy and opened his mouth, pointing to it, asking to be fed.

Jimin smiled before putting in a piece.

“There, happy?” The older asked, to which Jimin responded with enthusiastic smiley nods. “Stop throwing a tantrum, I was just kidding.”

“Okay.”

“Yah, Park Jimin.” Jungkook suddenly interrupted the two, standing from his seat and scrolling through his phone. He then looked up to the direction of the food tables. “Come with me. Let’s get some more food.”

“But… but there’s so much food here.”

“I want to get something else.” Jungkook answered.

“B-But…” Jimin tried to complain some more, only to he stopped when Jungkook suddenly raised his brow at him. “O-Okay.”

And so the designer reluctantly stood up from his seat and followed the CEO to the service tables, the whole time the former waiting for the latter to say something. Once they reached to tables, Jungkook grabbed a plate and handed one to the older before grabbing another one for himself.

“Get more food.” Jungkook instructed. Jimin only obliged and proceeded to getting some food for the table. Jimin could not help but think if getting so much food for their table was a norm in formal events, but he quickly figured that everyone was apparently doing it, at least for the current situation.

After all, it would be a waste of good food if they did not eat as much food as they could.

“What were you doing back there?” Jungkook suddenly asked, slightly taking the older by surprise and causing him to drop the chicken fillet he was holding with the tongs back to the tray.

“Uhm… I was feeding Yoongi-hyung.” Jimin answered. “I mean… he wasn’t eating so—”

“Let me remind you that we’re in Kim Seokjin’s territory.” Jungkook butted in, opting not to listen to the other’s excuse. “You’re supposed to be _my_ boyfriend.”

“But we’re also with other people from Wings.” Jimin reasoned out. “You told me we can’t act like we’re boyfriends in front of other employees from our company.”

“Well yeah, but for you to act all lovey-dovey with your _ex-boyfriend_? Isn’t that a bit inappropriate?”

The two fell silent for a few moments after that.

“Then, how should I act?” Jimin asked. Then, he suddenly turned to face the younger, with a piece of grilled duck meat in his hand, a sweet smile on his face. “Like this?”

He almost laughed at the younger’s reaction, shock evident in his face as he already-big eyes grew even bigger.

“W-What are you doing?”

“Feeding my boyfriend? What else?” Jimin answered, shrugging. “I mean… I thought—”

“Just get it done quickly.” Jungkook suddenly said, this time, taking the older by surprise. He then opened his mouth and leaned closer to the smaller, getting to his eye level, reducing the distance between their faces to mere inches.

Jimin dazedly put the piece of food on the younger’s mouth. Even as he was chewing, Jungkook did not move his face away and maintained eye contact, making the older slightly fidget.

“W-What are you—”

“Eating my boyfriend? Ah… I mean eating the food from my boyfriend? What else?” Jungkook smugly answered, smirking. “You think I can’t play this game?”

“Y-Yah!” Jimin protested, moving back. “I-I’m going back to our table.”

After saying that, Jimin practically dashed back to their assigned table. Jungkook could not help but smile as he watched the panicked male escape the situation. Shaking his head, at the older’s actions, the CEO continued to pick foods.

Once back at the table, Jimin set down the plate full of various kinds of food down before taking a seat between Momo and Taehyung. As expected, it was Taehyung who first attacked the new plate.

“Where’s boss?” Taehyung asked the other designer.

“I left him.”

“Oohh… I see, I see.” The taller nodded in understanding, once again picking a piece of chicken fillet from the plate. He then scooted closer to Jimin and whispered to his ear. “What happened?”

“What do you mean ‘what happened’?” Jimin asked. “Nothing happened.”

“Eh? But that’s impossible!” Taehyung protested. “Come on, just tell me already! He wouldn’t single you out just to grab food with you.”

“Maybe he would?”

“Yah!”

Determined to know what had transpired while the two were away, Taehyung continued to bug Jimin about it. He was in the middle of using physical means to pry information from his best friend when he was forced to stop by Jungkook’s arrival.

“What’s happening here?” The youngest in the table asked. The fact that Taehyung abruptly stopped when he arrived made him even more curious.

“N-Nothing, sir.” Taehyung answered, showing the younger a boxy smile in hopes of appeasing him into dropping the subject. “Jiminie and I were just playing.”

“Is that so?” Jungkook asked, turning to Jimin, who just nodded at him in response.

The rest of the night went smoothly. Momo stayed on her seat for the most part, plowing through all the pork she could get her hands on. It was surprising for everyone else—even for Jungkook—that the girl had an appetite for the guilt-ridden treat, because given that her figure was basically that of a model’s, it was easy to assume that she was on a low calorie diet.

When Jimin expressed this surprise, all she had in reply was a smile and an offer to join her in her eating.

Taehyung did join the girl at some point, but he mostly stuck with Jimin—bothering him non-stop and mostly bickering or laughing with him—and Yoongi, with whom he had actual sensible conversations with.

Yoongi, on the other hand, only moved from his spot for a total of three times, two of which were to go and use the comfort room. The other one was what Jimin and Taehyung double teamed him by forcing him to stand and grab more food and drinks for them. Jimin was pretty convinced that Yoongi obliged only because Taehyung asked him to, but he would not tell the elder that.

Jimin did what he usually did. But he made sure to steer clear of his boss. As much as he hated to admit it, he was a _just a tiny bit_ affected by the younger’s little stunt. He was attracted to males, after all. Just _not_ Jungkook, since the boy was basically everything Jimin despised about the rich.

In order to save himself from the trouble of having to avoid Jungkook for the time being, the designer made sure to keep himself busy with conversations with Yoongi and Taehyung, since he knew Jungkook would not do anything with them around.

To his delight, though, Jungkook acted like nothing happened and continued to keep up the “tough respectable CEO” image he had. But every now and then, when no one else noticed, Yoongi caught him openly staring at random things—may it be the food, the crumbs on the table, the droplet of dew outside the walls of his wine glass, or the table décor.

Or Jimin.

Being seemingly the only one who noticed things was a burden for the pale musician, and to say that it did not bother him was a huge lie. In fact, watching how things progressed worried him to great extents, because knowing Jimin, the younger would surely get hurt if things go bad.

 

 

The night ended with a classical performance accompanied by one last big display of fireworks and dance of searchlights that varied in intensity and tempo in accordance to the movement of the song. One last round of applause, and the event was over.

The five people from Wings left the venue together and went to where their cars were parked so they could go home and rest.

“Park Jimin-ssi.” Jungkook suddenly called the man’s attention when they were just beside their cars. “Come with us, we’ll take you home.”

“No.” Yoongi disagreed, causing the younger to raise a brow at him. “I’ll take Jimin home.”

“Y-Yeah, it’d be a bother for you to take me home.” Jimin agreed with the older. “Besides, you still have to take Momo to her place, right? She’d arrive home late if you’d still—”

“Then we’d drive Momo to her place first.” Jungkook answered. “I still have to discuss things with you.”

“Jimin will be back to our office starting tomorrow.” The musician countered. “I think what you have to say can wait until then.”

Silence ensued after Yoongi’s words. Despite the conversation being about him, Jimin could not help but feel awkwardly out of place, along with Taehyung and Momo, with the former knowing what the argument was really all about, and the latter being clueless.

“Maybe I’ll just go ahead?” Taehyung said awkwardly, smiling. “Jiminie can come with me and—”

“Let’s go together, Taehyung.” Yoongi butted in, turning his back to his boss and opening the door of his car. “Jimin, come in.”

“O-Okay, hyung.” Said male answered. Before getting inside the car, he quickly gave the CEO a bow and bid Momo a farewell.

“What was that about, hyung?” Jimin once they were on the road. He stifled a yawn after giving his question and rubbed his tired eyes before sinking further into the passenger seat.

“Nothing much.” The older replied. “I’m just trying to give you a well-deserved break from him.”

“So… you noticed, huh?” Jimin asked. Yoongi only nodded at him in response. “Yeah… I actually need this. Thanks, hyung.”

“But really though, Taehyung’s right.” The pale male continued. “What did you and Jungkook talk about when you two went to grab more food?”

“Ah… that.” Jimin sighed. “Well… he said it was weird that I was acting sweet to you when we were supposed to pretend that we were boyfriends.”

“That’s all?”

“That’s pretty much it.” The younger answered. There was a few moments of silence in the car before Yoongi spoke again.

“Is Jungkook jealous?”

“What?” Jimin asked, his face looking scandalized. “Of course not! There’s no way that’s true! Not a chance.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, Jungkook’s straight.” Jimin answered, nodding to himself. “I don’t really consider myself so good-looking to bend someone’s gender just like that. Maybe if I looked like Taehyung, it could happen. But even then, I don’t think Jungkook would budge.”

Yoongi frowned. “You think of him like that?”

“Yeah! He made it clear pretty much right from the start.” Jimin retorted. The car then once again fell into a comfortable kind of silence until the pair arrived at the younger’s place.

“If you’re in Jungkook’s place,” Yoongi suddenly asked as Jimin was unbuckling his seatbelt. “And he’s acting all sweet and caring towards his ex, would you be jealous?”

The question sounded so loud in contrast to the silence of the night, and it made the young designer momentarily stop with what he was doing. He quickly recovered, though, and answered.

“No, of course not.” Jimin said. “I would not even start a fake relationship with him, if I were the boss.”

“But you’re not answering the question, Jimin.” Yoongi said, seriousness evident in the tone of his voice. “Would you be jealous?”

“I already answered,” Jimin responded, opening the door of the car. “And my answer is no, I won’t be jealous.” He said with finality before stepping out of the car. “Thanks for the ride, hyung, take care!”

“Yeah, yeah, no problem.” Yoongi smiled at the younger. “Good night.”

“Good night.”

Once Jimin closed the car door and disappeared behind the apartment door, Yoongi started driving back to his own place. And along the way, he could not help but let out a sigh of concern.

“I can feel a disaster about to happen.”


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys! Here's another chapter!  
> I am about to have like... many exams, and I need to prepare for them, so the next update could take a while. Sorry :(

 

Everything was different the instant Jimin opened his eyes. And while he would also love to stay in his bed and get a lot more rest, the young designer actually felt motivated to go to work.

He stretched his rested limbs, and lightly sighed at the feeling of his muscles being pulled. A smile automatically plastered itself on his face when his felt his bones click to place as he continued to stretch. His limbs felt like when he just finished working out or dancing, and they felt great.

Feeling satisfied with his good night sleep, Jimin climbed out of his bed and proceeded to his morning preparations—taking time to actually eat breakfast in the form of a bowl of instant oats and a cup of hot coffee. He knew he was going to run late if he continued with his pace, but it was not like he was going to Wings first. Jungkook and he had already talked about the post-collaboration conditions. He was actually allowed to not come in the next day after the event, but he figured such a motivation-filled day should not go to waste. And he still had to properly say goodbye to his friends in Pink Princess and get the personal belongings he had left in their office.

_Jungkook._

The instant Jimin realized that he would still have to face Jungkook again, a sudden wave of nervousness washed over him, making him have a mini-heart attack.

“He still has something to tell me today…” Jimin sighed against the lips of his mug. “I hope it’s not something serious.”

Once he finished his food and drink, Jimin went over to the sink and cleaned the utensils he used before taking a bath. Since it has been such a long time since he actually got to enjoy his bath, he took his time to do the things he absolutely loved to do in the bathroom—singing.

After six songs, the man finally stepped out of the bathroom feeling refreshed and clean. He quickly got into one of his office attires and fixed himself and his things before double checking all the lights, faucets, and electrical appliances in his place—not that there were many—and locking the door behind him to set out.

Just a few steps out into the street, Jimin’s phone suddenly pinged to indicate the arrival of a message. He quickly took the device out of his pocket and read the message as he hailed a cab.

 

> _From: Taehyungie_
> 
> _Good morning!_
> 
> _You’re coming today, right? What time are you coming to the office?_
> 
> _Mingyu and Wonwoo already miss you!_

“Why don’t you just say you miss me?” Jimin smiled to himself as he boarded the car. He quickly sent a reply before telling the driver where he was headed to.

 

> _To: Taehyungie_
> 
> _Tell them I miss them, too._ _J_
> 
> _Uhm… I’m not sure what time I would be arriving there… I still have to go to Pink Princess first to get my stuff._

Seconds after sending his reply, his phone rang again, this time, because of a call.

“Hello?”

“What do you mean you still have to go to Pink Princess first?” Taehyung practically shrieked into the receiver of the phone. “You’ve been there since forever!”

“You’re exaggerating things, Tae.” Jimin chuckled. “I’ve been gone for only a few weeks… and we’re literally together last night.”

“Still.” Taehyung answered. Jimin could practically hear his pout through the device.

“Yah… don’t be sad.” The designer said as he opened the car window and let the air hit his face. “The design team would probably ask me to eat lunch with them for the last time, so I’d probably get there after lunch.”

“Aww… that sucks.” Taehyung whined. “Well then… I’ll just see you later, I guess?”

“Yeah, see you later.”

And the call ended. Jimin, deciding to enjoy the morning air in Seoul, put away his phone and just watched the scenery outside pass by as the cab continued to travel to his destination.

Upon arrival at Pink Princess, Jimin quickly paid the cab driver before proceeding to enter the establishment. On his way in, the guard took notice of his presence and greeted the designer.

“Oh, Jimin-ssi, you’re here.” He said, smiling to the smaller male.

“Yeah… for the last time in a long time, actually.” Jimin answered, smiling back at the confused look on the other man’s face. “I’m going back to Wings. My work here is done.”

“Aww… that’s too bad.” The guard replied. “Your bright smile will truly be missed here.”

At the guy’s compliment, Jimin could not hide the smile that automatically appeared on his face. “Come on, it’s not like people here don’t have bright smiles either.”

“But yours is different, really.” He continued. “Anyway, how did the event go last night? I practically drowned in the sound of fireworks for like… hours.”

“It was successful.” The shorter answered. “All the hard work paid off.”

“That’s good to hear.” He then motioned with his hands for Jimin to go on his way, to which the designer replied with a small bow before leaving the nice personnel to his work.

Along his way to the design department, Jimin met several staffs who he greeted cheerfully, like he always did. They were all part of the reason why he felt like crying now that he really was leaving the wonderful workplace he had grown to love in the past days that he had work with them.

But then again, all good things just had to come to an end.

Jimin was lost in his thoughts when he stepped into the department, so he was taken by surprise when Hyejin suddenly went on screaming his name to announce his arrival.

“Oh my gods! Jiminie, you’re here!” Wheein clapped, afterwards throwing her arms around Hyejin’s and Byulyie’s shoulders. The rest of the design team went over to swarm the new arrival.

“Yeah, hyung.” Chan agreed. “Are you staying here for good? Did Mr. Kim hire you already?”

The said male, recovering from the initial shock of being welcomed with so much enthusiasm, chuckled at the shorter’s question. “No, Chan, I just came for my stuff.”

“Aww… that’s sad.” Seokmin sighed, disappointment clearly in his voice.

“Yah, Lee Seokmin.” Jeongyeon called the male out. “It’s not like we can’t hang out with Jimin-oppa every now and then. We’ll still see him.”

“Oh my god Jiminie’s here?!” A high-pitched shriek resounded throughout the whole office, prompting the occupants to turn their heads to the direction of the department head’s room. There stood a pleasantly-surprised Hoseok.

“Yeah, hyung, I’m back.” Jimin answered. “To get my stuff.”

The smile on the department head’s face immediately fell upon hearing the younger’s purpose in coming, and was replaced by a pout that had everyone laughing.

“We’ll miss you, Jiminie!” Hoseok then cried out loud, rushing to an amused Jimin and engulfing him in a hug. “What would we ever do without you?”

“Wow, hyung, way to go to make me feel special.” Jimin chuckled. “You guys will do so well, as if I was never here before.”

“Don’t say that.”

“It’s true, though.”

“Guess I’m just in time for the drama.” Another voice spoke up, making everyone face the entrance to see the CEO. Everyone gave the man bows of acknowledgement, which Seokjin returned. “Park Jimin.”

“Sir.”

“Thank you… for your big help.” The broad-shouldered man said, sincerity evident in his voice. Jimin felt pride grow in him at the thought of having helped Pink Princess.

“It’s my pleasure, hyung.” Jimin answered. “And I would like to also thank you and Hoseok-hyung for the incredible opportunity to work with such…” He trailed off, looking around at the people around who gave him all bright smiles and happy faces. “…great and talented people. It really was so much fun working with you guys.”

A sniff was heard in the room, making everyone turn their heads to the source.

“Yah! Jihyo don’t cry!”

“I’m not crying!”

“Wow, she’s not crying right now.” Joshua chuckled. “Imagine if she’s actually crying.”

“It’d destroy the devices in the office.” Soonyoung added, making everyone laugh and prompting the crying female to try and hit him on the shoulder.

“Shut up.”

“Oh my god, Jihyo, you made Hoseok cry, too!” Byulyie laughed, pointing at the said male who hurriedly wiped his wet eyes with his fists.

“Shut up, Moon, I’m not crying.”

“Oh lord, before the waterworks get too much to handle I’ll make you guys happy by announcing a department lunch.” Seokjin groaned, gaining the attention everyone. “As celebration for a job well done for last night, and also as a sending off party for Jiminie, this lunch will be on me and my gold card.”

“Wow!”

“Kim Seokjin’s the best!”

“Let’s get wasted!” Hyejin suddenly yelled, prompting everyone to give her weird looks. “What?”

“We’re having lunch, Hyejin.” Wheein answered. “Which means there won’t be alcohol to get wasted with.”

“Then we get wasted with food.”

“Anyway,” Seokjin butted in, effectively stopping another round of bickering between the two. “Everyone just finish what you need to get done by noon. Jimin will pack his things up, and I’ll be returning to my office. I’ll just come back later.”

“Okay!”

And with that, Seokjin left the department in favor of going back to his own work. Hoseok and everyone else continued on with what they were doing before Jimin arrived, while the said male proceeded to his task of collecting whatever stuff he had left the last time he was in Pink Princess.

The stuff Jimin had to put inside the extra bag he brought with him with mostly papers, so it took him quite some time preparing. He still had to scan through the contents of the sheets before deciding whether to bring them or just discard them.

Once he was through with the papers, the designer from Wings gathered his personal belongings such as toiletries and his mug and squeezed them into what little space remained of his bag.

Unexpectedly, the boy finished just in time for lunch, when everyone else also finished with their immediate deadlines. He just finished zipping up his bag when Seokjin made his presence known once again.

“Ready?” The CEO asked, to which everyone answered with nods and excited claps. After making sure everything was set, all of them went out of the building and boarded their respective vehicles. The girls all rode in Wheein’s six-seater, while Soonyoung, Joshua, Seokmin and Chan rode in the second’s car. Hoseok left his own car in favor of getting into Seokjin’s with Jimin.

With the boss’s lead, all three vehicles headed straight to a traditional Korean cuisine restaurant that was not too expensive, but still served top-quality food. Lunch was fun and noisy—just like how they always were even at work, much to the delight of Jimin.

At least, for the last time as their colleague, he got to enjoy the thing that he loved the most in working for Pink Princess—the friendship.

Of course, as expected as well, there were lots of times when some of them would bicker over the most trivial of things, like on who was supposed to get the condiments or cut the meat on the grill. However, those small disputes always ended with everyone laughing at how stupid everyone was.

Jimin also opened up about how he felt when he first came to the department, mostly expressing his concern on Wheein’s weird stare at him when he first arrive.

“Did I really stare?” Wheein asked, smiling. “I really did not notice.”

“Oh well, maybe it was just me?” Jimin answered. “But wait… you also did that to Jungkook when he first came to the office.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Ahh… Our Jung Wheein is really weird like that at times.” Hyejin chewed around the piece of meat she just put in her mouth. “She’s just… weird.”

“Wow…” Byulyie chuckled, taking a swig of her iced tea. “That sounds serious, hearing it from someone as ‘normal’ as you.”

“Yah, unnie, we’re both weird.” Hyejin countered, sticking out her tongue at the elder.

Hoseok just laughed at the three. “We’re all weird.”

“True.”

“Yeah.”

The team also talked about the anniversary night and the things that had happened in the venue. Taehyung was brought up and dubbed the “weird, handsome guy”. Despite the nickname, though, everyone agreed that the boy was a really nice and fun guy.

Jimin knew that Taehyung would be ecstatic to know how Pink Princess looked at him, but he would not give him that pleasure. Not just yet.

Everyone’s love life was also brought up, and a lot of teasing and blushing resulted from the topic. Apparently, majority of the team was straight and almost all of them were in their own relationships.

And everyone knew about all of it, everyone save for Jimin, who was just learning about the said aspect in everyone’s lives.

When the group decided to leave the diner, it was out of time restraint and not actual want to leave. All of them stopped just outside and around their cars to say goodbye to Jimin, who did not want to go back to the office anymore.

“Are you sure you don’t want us to drive you to Wings?” Hoseok asked the shorter, a small pout evident on both his voice and his face.

“No, hyung.” Jimin smiled. “I’ll just take the cab.”

“Don’t force him, Hoseok.” Seokjin said. “You’ve asked him like a thousand times already.”

“Yeah, hyung, I’ll be fine.” Jimin agreed. He chuckled at the sigh that his hyung let out, clearly a sign of giving up.

“Fine, then.” The department head relented. “Just say ‘hi’ to Jungkook for us.”

“Yeah, I will. And I’m sure Kookie’s gonna say ‘hello’ to you guys, too.”

“Oh my god, that’s so cute.” Jihyo squealed, clapping. “The nickname ‘Kookie’ is so cute!”

“Yeah, it really is.” Chan agreed. “If Jungkook-ssi’s the ‘Kookie’, then is Jimin-hyung the ‘monster’ who eats the coo—”

“Yah, Chan!” Jimin interrupted the younger. “You’re too young to talk about those things!”

“I-I’m not too young!”

“You’re like…” Jimin paused, counting with his fingers. “Twelve.”

“Yah!”

“Okay, okay, let’s all say goodbye to Jiminie.” Seokjin butted in, stopping another round of bickering from happening. He then turned towards the said male and patted his shoulder. “Thanks again, Jiminie.”

“It’s a great honor and privilege to work with Pink Princess. I should really be the one thanking you.” Jimin answered. “Okay then, guys, I’ll have to leave now.”

“Visit every now and then, okay?”

“Let’s eat outside sometimes, hyung!”

“Take care!”

And with that, Jimin hailed a cab timely passing by at the time everyone had said their good byes to him. There was once again a strong urge to cry, but Jimin would not. It was not like he could not meet them ever again.

 

 

 “Well, if it isn’t Park Jimin?” The female guard of Wings’s building smiled at the figure alighting the cab in front of the establishment. “It’s been some time since I’ve seen your smiling face!”

“Long time no see, too, noona.” Jimin greeted the girl back as he entered the place. “I’ve been assigned to work somewhere recently, but we just finished, so… yeah. I’m back.”

“That’s nice.” She replied. “We’re gonna get a little bit more energy with you around.”

“Ahhh… it’s not like I’m important or something.”

“Yah! Don’t say that!” The guard reprimanded, frowning at the boy. “Everyone’s important in their own way, okay? Don’t think otherwise.”

The young designer smiled at the lady, appreciating the words of encouragement. He then headed straight to the design department, and he did not know if it was just he was so used to being greeted by everyone along his way to the office back in Pink Princess or it was just him, but the hallways felt empty, despite the multitude of people passing by him.

Unlike in Pink Princess, none greeted him on his way up.

The lack of interaction on his way to his cubicle was compensated by Taehyung’s rather warm welcome.

“Oh my gods!”

Jimin could not help but cringe at the taller’s interjection. He was quite positive the whole department heard.

“Omo, omo, Jiminie, you’re here!” Taehyung continued, standing up from his seat and engulfing the embarrassed boy in a bone-crushing hug. He got a heavy, paper-filled bag shove into his face in return.

“Again, Tae,” Jimin started, exasperation clearly in his voice. “We basically saw each other last night. You’re acting like we haven’t seen each other since childhood.”

“Well… you were a child last night and—”

“Yah! Kim Taehyung!”

“Oh, Park Jimin-ssi’s back?” Mingyu asked, sliding out of his cubicle. “You look even better than the last time I saw you, and that’s telling.”

“Uhm… thanks, I guess?” Jimin awkwardly smiled at the tan male as he continued to fix his things in the cubicle. “You too. You look great.”

“I know.”

“Hi, Jimin-ssi.” Wonwoo joined in, maneuvering his chair to a spot next to the taller Mingyu. “I see you’re back.”

“Yeah, Wonwoo-ssi, I just got back today.”

“Good to hear.” The boy answered. There was no malice in his words, but Jimin could not help but feel like there was something wrong with how his officemate just talked to him.

And just like that, Wonwoo slid back to his cubicle, but not without giving Mingyu’s chair a rather hard push back into his.

“That felt like the last time…” Jimin mumbled to himself, tilting his head to the side in interest over his two office mates’ behavior. But in the end, the designer decided not to dwell too much on other people’s issues and focused on his tasks at hand.

“Where are you going again?” Taehyung asked when he noticed Jimin leaving his cubicle once again. “You just got back!”

“I’m just going to Yongsun-ssi’s office for some sort of a courtesy call or something.” Jimin answered, pointing to the door of the department head’s office with his thumb. “I’ll be back.”

“Okay.”

And with that, Jimin left Taehyung in favor of paying his head a visit. He knocked on the door of the woman and opened it upon hearing Yongsun tell him to come in.

“Oh, you’re back, Jimin-ssi.”

“Ah… yes.”

“I heard you really did great on that collaboration with Pink Princess.” Yongsun headed straight to the point. “Good job, Park.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s actually quite good that you came to me first.” Yongsun said, confusing the younger. “I really want to thank you for putting up a good image for Wings’s design department out there. You really showed everyone what a Wings designer really is capable of.”

“Ah… was it really that good?” Jimin embarrassedly chuckled. “Thank you, ma’am.”

“Of course, it is!” Yongsun answered, laughing a bit. “I won’t really go out of my way just to bullshit you.”

“Ahh…”

“Oh, anyway,” She continued, putting her clasped hands on top of her table. “I’ve already reviewed the proposals that you guys have submitted.”

“Proposal?” Jimin asked. It took him some time to understand what the woman was referring to, but once he did, his heart slightly picked up its pace. “Oh my… I forgot to make a better version!”

“It’s okay, Park.” The department head reassured the younger. “I understand just how much work you had on your plate recently. Actually, even though I could tell right now that you think what you submitted to me was substandard, I’d like to say otherwise.”

“H-Huh?”

“Your ideas weren’t exactly out of the ordinary.” Yongsun began explaining. “The proposal itself wasn’t polished either. But the level of detail in your body of work is amazing. It made a cliché idea seem different in some way. And I liked the thought of it—taking a cliché idea and turning it into something that is still the same in essence, but in a way that removed the cliché part of it. You get what I mean?”

Jimin pursed his lips, opting not to answer, since he wanted to say no. There was no way his submission for the special assignment was that good.

“So,” The woman continued. “I’ve decided to give you this project.”

“W-What?”

“I’m giving you this special assignment, Park.” Yongsun smiled, standing up from her seat. “Congratulations.”

“Ah…” Jimin scratched the back of his head, still confused as to what was happening. Apparently, he was onto some sort of a lucky streak.

But then again, who was he to refuse such opportunities?

“T-Thank you, Kim Yongsun-ssi.” He extended his hand forward for a handshake, feeling a smile growing on his face.

“We’ll talk about it again in the future, but for now, get settled down again, okay?” The female answered. She then let go of Jimin’s hand and bid him a good bye before he left the office.

The boy exited the department head’s office with an untamable grin on his face. With an extra bounce on his steps, Jimin proceeded to walking back to his cubicle. However, before he got back, his phone in his pocket dinged—an indication of the arrival of a new message.

 

> _From: Yoongi-hyung_
> 
> _Come to my office, when you have time._

“What is it now?” Jimin asked to himself, letting out a sigh afterwards as he put the device back into his pocket. Invitations as such from the elder rarely meant casual talks. But still, the designer thought Yoongi would never mean harm for him, so he went to the older’s office anyway.

Once he got to Yoongi’s room, Jimin was pleasantly surprised to see the pale male just lounging around in his chair with a light-hearted KPop song playing softly in the background. The gummy smile the department head sent his way just made the whole thing a hundred fold better.

“How’d you know I’m back?” Jimin asked as he closed the office door behind him and went over to the older. “Do you have a screen for the surveillance cameras or…”

“Taehyung told me.” Yoongi answered. Jimin did not miss the slight blush that went up the other’s pale neck as he struggled to hold in the silly smile that was coming out.

“Oh, yeah?”

“He… chatted me just when you left for Yongsun’s office.”

“He chatted you first?”

“Well…” Yoongi trailed off, not really finding it in himself to answer the question because Jimin would definitely use it against him. So instead of giving a proper reply, the musician opted to start with what he really wanted to talk about with Jimin.

“I did not call you here for that.”

“Yah, you’re avoiding the question.”

“I’m serious here, Jiminie.” Yoongi continued, switching back to his serious tone. “I actually wanted to talk to you about this last night, but I know you were exhausted.”

The instant the younger realized what it was Yoongi wanted, the smile on his face immediately fell. “Why do I feel like I won’t like this conversation?”

“Well, sucks to be you, then, since we’re having this conversation, whether you like it or not.” The pale male answered. “Jimin-ah… you know I’m only doing this since I worry about you.”

“But you really don’t need to worry about me.” Jimin countered. “I can handle this by myself.”

“I know you could.” Yoongi said. “I know you can recover, but I’m already warning you now, so you could prevent further damage. I really think it’s better if you start to distance yourself from him, physically and emotionally.”

At the older’s words, Jimin closed his eyes and let out a burdened sigh. Yoongi knew that the younger certainly understood his point, and that even he knew that there was no way his deal with Jungkook could end well for him.

“Hyung,” Jimin said, his voice low and weak. “I just… Let me do this my own way, okay? Just… trust me in this.”

“I trust you, Jimin-ah.” Yoongi replied. “It’s just that… there is something wrong. You cannot,” He continued, emphasizing what the younger could not do. “Fall for him, understand? Though from what I can see my advice is a bit too late already.”

“W-What?”

“You’re falling for him, and we both know that.” Yoongi answered. The defeated look on Jimin’s face gave the musician a heavy feeling in his chest.

“But I’m trying, hyung,” Jimin defended himself, desperation clearly laced in his voice. “Every single time I find myself losing control, I remind my heart to not fall for anything, because it’s all just for show—because it’s all fake, and that it would end once the deal between Wings and Pink Princess is settled. Though at times, it’s just hard… Jungkook… he’s seemingly sincere at times…”

Yoongi nodded at Jimin;s explanation, knowing full well what the younger meant. And even he, at times certain times, could see that Jungkook was actually unconsciously sincere with how he treated the designer.

But he would not tell Jimin that much. It might give him false hopes.

“That’s why you should end is as soon as possible.” The older said in a soft voice, putting his hand on Jimin’s shoulder. “The sooner you can distance yourself, the less it would hurt in the end.”

Immediately after Yoongi said those words to Jimin, the latter’s phone dinged again in his pocket, prompting him to pull the device out to check.

“Who is it?” Yoongi asked, watching the designer read the message that arrived in his phone. One, two, three seconds passed without the younger’s reply, and Yoongi knew.

“I-I need to go now, hyung.” Jimin excused himself, standing up from his seat. “I’ve got to go somewhere.”

“To Jungkook, right?”

And there was it again, the burdened sigh. Yoongi could not do anything else but mimic the younger.

“I’ll be alright in the end, hyung. You know how much I’ve been through. This one can’t break me now.” Jimin reassured the older, giving him a small, tired smile. “I just want to enjoy this while I can while protecting myself as much as possible.”

“Let me make good memories with him while I still can, okay?”

And with that, Jimin left.


	18. [NOT AN UPDATE]

Hello guys!  
  
I just stopped by to tell you that I AM SO, SO, SORRY for not having posted anything for a very long time. I swear, I was making the chapter, but then after a particularly painful semester... my laptop just had to malfunction. I could not even open it.   
  


Right now, I am using my brother's laptop to post this... and all of my files--school-related, KPOP related, personal, and fanfic related, are all in my currently not working laptop.  
  
So I am really sorry.  
  
I swear I still would finish this story when I get the chance (and if you'd still want me to, but either way I would finish this it seriously bothers me), but until my laptop gets fixed....  
  
Bye!!!


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HELLO GUYS!!! I'm back!!! Sorry for the long, long wait... it's been what... 2 months? AHAHAH and yes, the laptop is back! It's hella old, but I love it anyway. Me and my laptop have been through lots of stresses...  
> Without further ado, here's the next chapter! I hope you guys like it!

The beep from the phone, signaling the end of the call, prompted Jungkook to put the device down once he had finished inviting the older over into his office. He then looked back at his computer screen and resumed reviewing the final draft of the proposal that they were going to present to Pink Princess during the final presentation.

Jeon Jungkook had always been confident with this abilities, and this one proposal was no exception. Especially after seeing the impact of his schemes with Jimin, the young CEO was almost sure that it was all about the formalities now.

Unexpectedly for him, Jimin had secured the deal for them.

But still, it was in Jungkook’s nature to be cautious and to prepare for the worst. As the head of the company, he could not be too careful.

With a small push, he turned his chair away from the desk to face the glass wall behind him, coming face to face to what he could describe was a perfect day—the skies were clear and blue, with the sun still high for it was still early in the afternoon. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and sighed.

“At last…” He muttered to himself, smiling. “It’s almost over.”

Just after he muttered the words, the bell of his door rang, indicating the presence of someone just outside his office. Jungkook energetically turned himself around once again to press the button to unlock the door, promptly standing up to greet Jimin.

But instead of the shorter, the CEO found his secretary entering the office, with a weird look on her face.

“Oh… it’s you.” Jungkook found himself absent-mindedly muttering. The foreign look on the girl’s face was quickly replaced by a confused expression.

“It’s… me.” Momo said, lolling her head to the side. “Were you expecting someone else, sir?”

“No! No!” Jungkook answered immediately, shaking his head rather vehemently in denial. “I didn’t mean anything with that.” He continued with a chuckle. Amusement added on Momo’s confused face. “Uhm… did you want to talk about something?”

“Oh… yeah.” Momo answered, and the foreign look was back. It quite unsettled Jungkook, seeing his usually calm and collected secretary acting the way she did. “I just… want to ask if I could leave work early.”

Jungkook raised his brow at the female’s request. It was the first time Momo asked to leave before dismissal time. “And why is that?”

“There’s a family emergency, sir.” Momo explained, keeping her head low. “I know I shouldn’t be asking this of you, and it’s so unprofessional, but—”

“You can go.”

“Excuse me?”

Jungkook smiled at the female who snapped her head up in disbelief. “I said, you can go. It’s a family emergency, and family’s more important. You can go.”

“But…”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.” Jungkook reassured her. “Today’s relatively lighter than usual, so we’ll manage. And also, don’t worry about your salary. You’ll still get today’s full payment.”

“O-Oh my god, thank you so much, sir.” Momo bowed lowly at a right angle, repeating the motion as she excused herself out of the office and went over to the door. Once beside it, Momo turned around to open it, only to jump back a bit when she was greeted by Jimin’s equally-surprised face.

“Oh… hello, Momo-ssi.” Jimin greeted the younger with a smile.

“Hi, Jimin-ssi.” The secretary responded. “I… gotta—”

“Oh, yeah, yeah, sure.” Jimin nodded, stepping out of the way and into the office. His brows scrunched upon hearing the girl’s rushed footsteps away from the place.

Upon closing the door behind him. Jimin turned his attention to Jungkook, who was still standing behind his desk.

“What’s up with her?” Jimin asked, pointing towards the door. “She seems… distraught.”

“She asked to leave work early today.” Jungkook answered, walking around his desk to join the older in the couches area of the office.  “She said there was a family emergency. I guess she’s really worried.”

“Ah… I see.” Jimin nodded to himself. He then took it upon himself to get seated on one of the couches before he asked why the younger called him.

“Our deal with Pink Princess is going so well.” Jungkook answered. “Thanks to you, actually. So I just wanted to… treat you, maybe? I guess you aren’t that busy with anything, since you just came back.”

The expected raised brow from the older immediately came. Jungkook had expected the older to initially reject his offer.

However, instead of a rejection, Jimin simply nodded to the offer, smiling afterwards and standing up, as if already ready to leave.

“What?”

“Nothing.” Jungkook answered, chuckling softly. “I just… expected you to reject the offer. You agreed rather easily.”

“Should I have been a little bit more difficult?” Jimin jokingly asked, laughing afterwards. “You know, I won’t reject such generous and harmless offer.” He paused, eyeing his boss. “Unless it isn’t harmless.”

This time, it was Jungkook’s turn to laugh. “You’re too cautious. Don’t worry, I won’t poison you or anything.” He answered. “You’re ready to leave, then?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Okay, then let’s go.”

The two promptly left the office when the younger finished double checking the place. The exclusive elevator went down straight to the company parking lot where they boarded Jungkook’s car. Thankfully for them, the traffic outside the office was light, and within minutes, the CEO started pulling over beside a familiar establishment.

“Isn’t this the restaurant where you met Jin-hyung back then?” Jimin asked as he stepped out of the car, eyeing the entrance to the building.

“Yeah, it is.”

“Then why did we have to take the car?” The older continued to inquire, frowning at his boss. “It’s literally walking distance away!”

“What do you mean by ‘walking distance’? It isn’t near at all!” Jungkook countered, heading into the glass door of the place. “It’d take us forever if we walked.”

“You know,” Jimin retorted, following Jungkook to an empty spot. “I used to walk from the office to my apartment when I was still starting, and my place is like… ten times the distance from the office to this place. Even then, I don’t ‘take forever’, as you put it.”

“Whatever.”

The two finished their small bantering just in time for the waiter to come to take their orders.

“I’ll just take duck carbonara.” Jungkook answered first. “I’d also like crème brulee and a watermelon milk tea. That’d be all for me.” He finished his order, handing the menu back to the waiter. “How ‘bout you, Jiminie-hyung?”

At the question, said man lowered the menu to take a look at the younger with his brows raised, confusing Jungkook. Jimin did not take his judgmental stare off even as he gave his orders to the still waiting worker.

Once the man left the table, Jungkook proceeded to questioning the older about his reaction.

“Why’d you look at me like that?” Jungkook asked, chuckling a bit. “It’s like I grew another head or something.”

“Ah… it’s nothing.” Jimin responded, smiling. “It’s just that… it’s the first time I heard you call me ‘Jiminie-hyung’ casually even though it’s just the two of us.”

It took a few moments before the older’s statement made sense in Jungkook’s brain, and once it did, he could not hide the surprised expression that came with the realization that he may or may not have messed up.

“I-I did?”

“Yeah, you did.” Jimin responded with a hint of amusement. He could not help but laugh a bit at the embarrassment evident on the younger’s face.

And white the older was enjoying the moment, Jungkook was pretty sure he was not going to get out of the situation unscathed—he was sure Jimin would use what just happened against him one way or another, and knowing how the older was, he knew it would not be easy.

But even before Jimin could get another tease out, his phone rang, pulling out a sigh of relief from Jungkook.

Shaking his head, Jimin pulled the device out of his pocket and swiped to answer the call, while Jungkook took the opportunity to think of ways to save himself. Few moments passed, and the older remained silent.

Taking a glance at Jimin revealed that the shorter’s playful expression just seconds ago had been replaced by an indescribable one. A sickeningly indescribable one.

“Are you al—”

Jungkook did not even manage to finish his question when Jimin suddenly stood from his seat and, without a word, rushed out of the restaurant and into the streets before quickly jumping into a cab that happened to pass by the place.

Inside the moving vehicle, the designer could not even care to stop the vigorous bouncing of his legs as he once again asked the driver to hurry up. Jimin could feel the tension around his neck and jaw—he really could end up crying, but he knew it was not the right time for it. For now, he just had one goal, and that was to reach his apartment as soon as possible. Crying could come later, if worse came to worst.

No, if worse came to worst, he just might die.

Upon arrival at his place, the agitated man quickly tossed his fare to the driver before practically jumping out of the car. He entered his small apartment and proceeded to pulling open all the closet doors and grabbing his clothes and the suitcase he had brought with him the first time he came to Seoul and with swift, panicked movements, tossed everything that could fit into the suitcase. He also went over to the sink and grabbed his personal toiletries, also to stuff into the bag.

Stepping back to try and get his mind to function properly so he could recall what things he needed to bring with him, Jimin ran his fingers through his sweaty hair.

“Laptop.” Jimin said to himself, raking his gaze all over the room in search of the said device, only for him to groan in frustration seconds later when he realized he had left his working bag in the office.

“Oh my god, I don’t have time to get it.” He cried to himself. One glance at the clock had him rushing again to close the suitcase and leave.

Once outside, he went on to drag his suitcase behind him in a run-walk to the corner, thinking in that spot he would be able to hail a cab much faster. To his dismay though, one, two, three—all of the taxis that passed by him in the next five minutes, which seemed like ages for him, were filled.

“Where are those damned cars when you need them?!” The frustrated designer’s knuckles were turning white with the deathly grip he had on the handle of the luggage. He was just on the verge or breakdown when suddenly, a familiar vehicle pulled over just in front of Jimin.

“Hyung!” Jungkook shouted from the driver seat, catching the attention of the distraught male. “Get into the car!”

“I’m going to Busan!” Jimin responded, actually itching to just jump into the car, but he was sure the younger did not know just how far the place he was going to was.

What he got as a response took him by surprise—Jungkook got off his car and rounded it to open the door of the passenger seat, afterwards shoving the still-confused older into the seat and effortlessly lifting the luggage to the back, putting it into the hood before going back to his seat to drive away.

“Where in Busan?” The CEO asked as he maneuvered the car to the direction of the said city. He briefly turned his head to the older, only to see him anxiously fidgeting with the hem of his top.

“Hospital.” Jimin answered, voice slightly shaking. “Busan Hangun.”

“Hyung.” Jungkook called his attention, prompting the older to look at him. “Try to calm down a bit.”

“O-Okay.” Jimin answered, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. The action slightly put Jungkook at ease, but it was only for a moment. One second, the designer was trying to calm down, the next, he was frantically reaching into his pocket to grab his phone when it dinged, an indication that a new message have arrived.

Silence reigned in the car for a few seconds before Jimin broke it by cursing.

“What’s wrong?”

“My phone.” Jimin groaned into his palms, his stress already starting to affect the younger. “Twenty percent. My charger’s in my office bag.”

“It’s in the back.” Jungkook answered, offering a small smile to the shorter, who took a look at the back seat. And true enough, his bag was there. “I figured that since you left the restaurant looking so panicked that you’d head straight to your place. So I went back to the office to grab your bag and my stuff before catching with you.”

“I…” Jimin stuttered, out of words for the younger’s actions. “Thank you.”

“It’s nothing, hyung.” Jungkook responded. “It’s clear that there’s a big emergency. I just wanted to help.”

“Also, sorry about running out back there in the resto.” The older continued, apologizing for the rude exit. “It’s just... I…”

“It’s okay, hyung, you’re fine.” The younger offered a small smile to Jimin in an attempt to maybe, just maybe, help ease whatever he was feeling. “We’ll just reschedule, if you want.” He jokingly added.

“Well… if you insist.” Jimin slightly smiled at the younger. The two continued to drive in silence for some time, with Jungkook completely focused on the road and Jimin looking out the window. And unlike the other times when it was just the two of them alone in silence, this time, it was comfortable, needed even.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” Jungkook broke the silence, caution obvious in his tone. “Who’s in the hospital?”

“My parents.” Jimin answered.

“Parents?” Jungkook asked again. “Which one?”

“Both of them.” Jimin answered, shocking the younger. “It’s just my dad supposedly. He’s always had this intermittent high blood pressure attacks. But this last one… it also stressed my mom that she suffered the same thing.”

“I…” Jungkook started, but he found it difficult to think of the right words to say to the older at the moment. To his eyes, the designer just looked to fragile and vulnerable—the most vulnerable he had ever seen him since they met.

“I’m sorry about it.” He finally finished. “I mean… I know it’s not my fault but… ugh sorry I’m just rambling now, am I not? I…” He turned to face Jimin, and was met by the man’s soft smile. “I really hope they… _you’ll_ be fine.”

“I hope so, too.” Jimin agreed. “You know… I’m their only child. And my parents are already old. They’re the only family I have now and… god I just want them to be alright. If something bad really happens… I just… I don’t know what to do, Kook. I don’t know.”

“Don’t worry too much. Nothing bad’s gonna happen now.”

Jungkook then focused back on the task at hand, which was taking Jimin to the said hospital as soon as possible. A solid block to twenty minutes passed until Jungkook felt some sort of an itch to talk to the older again, and after desperately searching his brain for an interesting, appropriate topic for another five minutes, he finally decided to open his mouth.

“Hyung, do you want to eat first or something?” Jungkook asked. “We could just get drive thru or something. The road ahead’s pretty long.”

No reponse.”

Baffled by the lack of just about any response from Jimin, Jungkook turned his head to look at him. After seeing what was up, Jungkook could not help but smile.

No wonder why the designer was not responding—he already fell asleep.

“He must be really tired from all this stress.” Jungkook said to himself. Choosing not to bother Jimin anymore, the CEO decided for the both of them. Since he was asleep and he could not object in his current state, the younger just decided to go for his suggestion and get fast food via drive thru.

Jimin could eat it once he woke up.

 

 

Jimin opened his eyes to see cars zooming past him in a familiar traffic. It took a few moments and an “oh, you’re awake” from his driver before he remembered what he was doing, and an idea on where he was.

“We’re in…”

“Busan, yeah.” Jungkook answered. “Welcome back, I guess.”

“Gosh… I never thought that the next time I’m going back here it would be to visit both of my parents in the hospital.” Jimin groaned. “I vowed to never return until I become successful—guess that’s too much to say.”

“Aww come on, hyung, you’re doing really great now, don’t you think?” Jungkook nonchalantly replied. “I mean… career-wise, at that.”

“You know you’re really weird nowadays. All nice words and stuff.”

“Should I go back to being Mr. Menstruation suit?”

“Oh, no.” Jimin waved his hand off, complete with an eye roll. “You’re so much better this way.”

Despite the light-hearted conversation, Jungkook could still tell from the look in the older’s eyes that he was still worried sick for his parents, his fingers back to playing piano against his bouncing knees. He already knew he could not take that away from Jimin, but at least he was doing something to alleviate some of his anxiety.

Right after Jimin’s answer, a disturbing sound filled the car, and since the car’s radio was not on, it came with an awkward silence, and a laugh from the younger.

“You’re that hungry?” Jungkook asked, smiling. “That sounded like a dying cow or something.”

“Yah! I’m… tired and all. Of course I’d be hungry.”

“Stop whining and eat.” The CEO retorted, pointing to the back with his thumb, prompting the elder to look at the back seat to see packaged drive thru fast food.

“Oh… when did you buy that?” Jimin asked. He did not even wait for Jungkook’s reply before hurriedly instructing the younger. “There’s the hospital. Oh god… there’s a lot of cars! Where can we park?”

“You go ahead, hyung.” Jungkook answered, entering the parking space and heading straight for the building entrance. “I’ll go find some place to park.”

“Thanks, Jungkook.” Jimin got off the car with words of gratitude, afterwards practically running into the building. Jungkook let out a sigh before driving away to find parking space.

“He didn’t even get to eat the food.”

 

 

Mentally thanking the heavens for his small stature for once, Jimin expertly maneuvered around the multitude of people along the halls of the hospital to the general ward. There was a large number of cars outside for a reason—there was definitely a lot more patients with even more companions than usual, had to be. There was no way the hospital was always full.

After two wrong beds, and three awkward bumps with unknown people, Jimin finally found the right pair of beds where his parents laid, fast asleep.

Jimin saw them every now and then through video chat, but he never noticed just how they looked. The stressed expressions—even when they were sleeping—on their old, wrinkled faces almost made Jimin regret his decision to work in Seoul. He should have just gotten a job in Busan. He should have just stayed with his parents to take care of them.

“Oh, please.” Jimin pleaded to himself, approaching the beds. He could not help but cover his mouth for he could feel a sob trying to rake its way out of his throat, but the place being the general ward, it would be very inappropriate for him to make a scene and bother other patients.

So for the mean time, he just settled to swallowing down his feelings, and taking deep breaths to calm himself down. He did not even notice when Jungkook arrived. He did notice the younger as he watched the scene unfold before him.

Jungkook just could not explain it… it was the first time seeing someone so sad that it made his own heart ache in his chest. And at the moment, all he wanted to do was comfort Jimin.

Before he could stop himself, the CEO rushed to the designer’s side and engulfed him in a tight hug. Relief washed over the taller when he felt Jimin reciprocate, his small hands fisting the cloth of his top. He could feel his shoulder getting wet, but it did not matter.

It was Jimin that mattered.

“Excuse me, Mr. Park Jimin?” The doctor’s voice pulled the pair out of their trance. Upon hearing the doctor’s serious voice, Jungkook immediately let go of the older and stepped back, letting Jimin approach the professional.

“How are they, doc?” Jimin asked, his voice surprisingly stable for someone who just got back from the brink of breakdown.

“They’re still being monitored.” The doctor answered. “It’s your mother’s first attack, while this is one of your dad’s worst, if not the worst, attack.”

“Is there anything we can do to help them recover?”

“I’d highly recommend moving them to a private room to maximize rest. Also, we’d be able to focus more on their condition.”

“Please do what needs to be done, doc.” Jimin answered. The man simply gave him a nod of acknowledgement before getting back to work, leaving Jungkook and Jimin alone.

“So… what now?” Jungkook asked as Jimin moved to take a seat on his father’s bed.

“They’ll be moved to a private room so we could monitor their condition much more closely.” The shorter answered with a sigh. “Good thing I’ve been saving up lately.”

The look of worry in his eyes was still there, but it has lessened. The thought made Jungkook give himself a mental pat on his back for a job well done in helping the older.

“Jung—I mean… sir.” Jimin spoke again, the shift in his tone evident. It was unpleasant in said man’s ears. It felt like when they fought while they were dating. Fake dating.

 “Can I… ask if I could take a leave for a few days…”

“Oh.” Jungkook eyes widened, not sure why he felt both embarrassed and relieved at the same time. He scratched the back of his head as he gave the other consent.

“Uhm… so… thanks.” Jimin stood up once again, and gave the younger a bow. “For driving me here, for caring… for everything. I’ll just go back to our house to get our stuff while you can—”

“Drive you home.” Jungkook cut him off. “I’ll drive you home.”

“It’s okay, I can manage.”

“You’re tired, hyung.” The CEO argued. “I’ll send you home, bring you here again, and _then_ I’ll go back to Seoul.”

“It’ll be dark by then, Kook.”

“Then maybe I’ll just stay here in Busan and go back tomorrow.” Jungkook answered, shrugging. Jimin just raised his brow at him in confusion.

“You _do_ know that I won’t be sleeping in our house, right? I’m just gonna go back to get stuff, and sleep here with my parents.” Jimin asked. “No one would be in our house to accommodate you.”

Jungkook chuckled, much to Jimin’s surprise. “Did you really think I plan on sleeping in _your_ house?” He asked, smiling. “We have a house here in Busan, stupid.”

“Oh.” Jimin responded, shifting his gaze to the side to avoid the younger’s. “Yeah… that makes sense.”

“So, shall we get going then?” Jungkook asked, motioning to leave, with Jimin following suit.

The designer’s place was not that far from the hospital—a fact that Jimin was thankful for, since his old parents lived on their own. It was easy for them to have regular checkups without going through the hassle that was Busan’s traffic.

Once they arrived at the older’s place, the first thing that Jungkook noticed was that it was not anything you would expect from an events designer as talented as Jimin. It was cute, neat and all, but it was nothing like the flashy things that Jimin was now known for.

“Come in.” Jimin beckoned for the younger to follow him inside the structure as Jungkook continued to examine everything around him. “So… this is me. This is _us._ ”

Simple. Neat. Ordinary. But warm and loving.

“Just like—wait what am I thinking?”

Jungkook shook the thought out of his mind and ignored the sudden change in the pace of his heart. Judging from the proud look on Jimin’s face, Jungkook should not be feeling bad for him. But he could not help but compare it to his grand life. He could not help but feel like…

“Take a seat, I’ll get water for us.” Jimin said, pointing to the long couch beside the coffee table. “Don’t worry… that couch might be older than both of us, but it still holds.”

“Older than us?”

“Yeah… mom and dad got it shortly after they got married.” Jimin answered. “Just don’t break anything, okay! I’ll be right back!” He continued with a playful tone, his voice being muffled by the walls around the kitchen.

With Jimin’s voice in the background complaining about having to look for the glasses for guests, Jungkook took the time to look around the house. Family pictures were all over the place—the walls, the divider, the coffee table. Some frames also contained Jimin’s graduation pictures all the way from elementary.

“It’s the same smile.” Jungkook said to himself, examining a childhood photo of little Jimin playing on a beach. Right above it where Jimin’s diplomas and certificates.

“He’s quite an achiever, I see.”

“I told you to just sit down, not to snoop around.” Jimin said, making him turn around to see him putting down a tray with glasses of water and fruits. “I didn’t know what fruit you preferred, so I brought different choices.”

“I love bananas.” Jungkook answered, picking up said fruit and proceeding to peeling it. “And also, you dance?”

“Used to.” Jimin answered, shifting his gaze to the certificates and medals hanging on the wall.

“Why’d you stop?”

“Didn’t have time for it anymore. Part-time jobs, school, social life and family life are already too much to juggle.” The designer answered. “Uhm… feel free to just… not destroy anything, okay? I’ll just get what I came here for.”

“Yeah, go ahead.”

And with that, Jimin left for what Jungkook assumed was the bedroom. Having nothing else to do, the CEO proceeded to looking through the photos around the house.

And with every family photo he saw, Jungkook got to know more and more about the older—why he loved his family so much, and why he was such a kind and warm person.

Why Park Jimin is Park Jimin.

There was this blurred photo of them in the same living room Jungkook was standing in, with Jimin’s mother holding a small cake in her hands, smiling from ear to ear as Jimin kissed her on her cheek. There was also a photo of Jimin taking a selfie with his parents holding Christmas decorations behind him, like they were decorating the small Christmas tree they had inside the house.

Jungkook was convinced. There was no way he should pity the older. He grew up so well in a loving family. A family of his own.

“Okay let’s go!” Jimin suddenly cheered, pulling right behind him a small suitcase probably filled with his parents’ belongings. “Yah, you didn’t even drink your water.”

“I’m not that thirsty.” Jungkook answered. “You ready?”

“Yup.”

Jungkook then proceeded to taking the suitcase from the older while Jimin took the tray back to the kitchen before rejoining the other outside, where Jungkook’s car was waiting.

One their way back to the hospital, the CEO basically forced his employee to eat the food that he had bought for him along the road to Busan. Jimin initially refused, but after the younger nagged him and teased him about his grumbling stomach which “sounded like a dying cow” in Jungkook’s words, the designer just relented and quickly gobbled the meal down.

“Uhm… yeah… thanks.” Jimin expressed his gratitude to the younger once they were done putting all of Jimin’s stuff in the private room where his parents got transferred to. “Seriously… I don’t think I wouldn’t have done this without your help.”

“Nah, you’ll do just fine without me.” Jungkook answered, smiling. “You’re so strong, hyung. Probably because you have your own family behind your back all the time, supporting you.”

“Yeah… they’re my world.” Jimin answered. “Just like how you feel towards your family. I couldn’t fathom how you managed to overcome the pressure of taking over your father’s business at such a young age. I guess it runs in the blood.”

“Yeah… you can put it that way.”

“Well then,” Jimin took a deep breath and sighed. “I guess let’s call it a day, then?”

Jungkook nodded. “Yeah…what a day it really was.”

“Take care.” Jimin gave the taller a small bow. A few moments of silence went on between the two before Jimin let out a huff of air.

After being pulled by Jungkook into a tight hug.

“You’ll be fine, hyung.” Jungkook said in a low, comforting voice. “Everything’s gonna be alright.”

“Thank you.”

And with that, Jungkook went out of the private room and left the Park family on their own. It was on his way out of the hospital when Jungkook realized what must have been the reason why Jimin took his special offer regarding Pink Princess.

Maybe it was to support his father’s medication.

And without knowing that, Jungkook proceeded to insult Jimin by saying that he was too hungry for money to let the offer pass.

“Oh my god… Jeon Jungkook you’re such a dick.” The CEO carded his fingers through his hair in frustration. He knew he was known for being one hell of a dick boss, but what he did was out of line, even for him.

He just knew he had to make it up to the older.

With that in thought, Jungkook went to the administrative office before he left the place for good. He may not be the best in providing emotional support, but he would do what he could. Maybe taking care of Jimin’s main problem regarding their current finances would at least lessen the burden he was facing.

“I’ll pay for _all_ the charges on Park Jimin, in room 333.”


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys!!! Sorry again for the long wait! Well... I guess it was not as long at the previous one? AHAHAHHA Still sorry for the wait. 
> 
> Here's another chapter for the story! It's kind of... chill and short, to be honest. For those who have read some of my previous work, you know what a chill, short chapter means, right? :)
> 
> Anyways, here's the chapter! I hope you guys enjoy!

At this point, Jimin was not even surprised when his phone rang for only nearly five hours after he last talked to someone over it.

“Hello?”

“Jiminie…” The low, but still oddly cute voice dragged on from the other side of the line. “How are you?”

“Kim Taehyung…” Said male answered with a sigh. “I appreciate the care, you know I really do. But you’ve been checking on me and asking the same question for like… three or more times a day since you found out what happened.” Jimin could not hide the exasperation in his voice, but even then, he could not help but let out a chuckle. “And yeah, I’m fine.”

“Hey, hey, I’m just worried.” Taehyung answered. “And also, I’m bored as hell.”

“Maybe if you’d stop calling me every now and then and actually do stuff in the office, you won’t be bored.”

“But office stuff is even more boring!”

The taller’s response was not something Jimin was not expecting from him—after all, Taehyung was some sort of a special kind of person with a special way of looking at things. He just knew Taehyung was going to have to look for another job, if he continued acting like he did.

But then again, Taehyung was also some sort of a genius. He would not have lasted for a long time in the company if he did not have something to offer.

“Well then…” Jimin trailed off, thinking of something else to suggest to the other male. “How about talk with Mingyu and Wonwoo?”

He did not expect the sudden squeak from the other end of the line.

“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!” Taehyung gushed excitedly, voice going from its loud, booming tone to a hushed whisper. “You just reminded me, I have something to tell you!”

It has been like that for the past three days since Jimin had arrived back in Busan upon hearing the news of his parents getting hospitalized. Taehyung kept on calling him numerous times in a day—sometimes, it was Yoongi, but compared to the sheer number of times the younger called, it would seem like the pale male did not care at all.

Jimin knew that Yoongi actually cared, but that was not the point.

At first, the fact the two found out a little sooner than he expected confused him. However, Taehyung had so graciously provided him all the details when he and Yoongi came together for a visit.

 

 

> _Jimin let out a yawn for like the umpteenth time for the day. For the past 48 hours, the young designer had not been able to get a good sleep, opting to watch over the couple still unconscious on their respective beds. There was no one else to keep an eye on them and on the machines attached to them, resulting in Jimin downing cup after cup of coffee just to make sure that he stayed up and alert._
> 
> _The sound of the door opening did not even register to him, not until he was suddenly being crushed in a tight hug._
> 
> _“Jiminie!” Taehyung cried out as he continued to envelope the shorter in a warm hug. “My Jiminie… oh my god, look at you…”_
> 
> _“Taehyung?”_
> 
> _“Yes, it’s me, pabo.” Said male answered. “Why didn’t you tell us?! We were so worried, you know? We couldn’t contact you for like two days straight!”_
> 
> _“I… I’m sorry.” Jimin weakly answered, prompting Taehyung to tighten his hug, and Yoongi’s face to form a scowl._
> 
> _“Taehyung, just shut up already.” Yoongi reprimanded the loud boy. “Can’t you see Jimin’s tired?” He then turned to the still-listless designer. “I know it’s not the right time, but Jimin, you look like shit.”_
> 
> _“Thanks, I guess.” Jimin answered, smiling a bit._
> 
> _“What happened?” The pale male asked, taking a seat beside the two on the couch. “I know Mr. Park has history of attacks like this, but why is Mrs. Park…”_
> 
> _Jimin let out a sigh before responding. “Mom got too stressed this time, her blood pressure ended up shooting up, too.” He briefly explained. “It was all too sudden, and my phone’s battery died that day as well. I still haven’t charged it yet.”_
> 
> _“But why does boss Jeon know?” Taehyung asked. “Like… if it weren’t for him, Yoongi-hyung and I would have called the police already!”_
> 
> _“Oh, that.” Jimin answered. It was obvious that he still in the best state to be answering questions, based on the lag between the questions and his answers. “He’s actually the one who brought me here.”_
> 
> _Taehyung let out a loud, dramatic gasp upon hearing the other designer’s answer. “Oh! That’s amazing of him!”_
> 
> _“Well, we were… eating outside when I got the news.” Jimin explained, eyes fixed on Yoongi, who, in contrast with the taller, wore a disapproving look on his face._
> 
> _Something that Jimin was expecting from him._
> 
> _“Well, how about you two?” Jimin asked in an attempt to change the topic. “How did you guys know?”_
> 
> _“Well, I kinda thought it was weird that you didn’t turn up the next day.” Taehyung answered. “So I tried calling your phone for like, ten times before I went to Yoongi-hyung to tell him.”_
> 
> _“It was a bit too dramatic, actually, the way he entered my office and whined and all.” Yoongi added._
> 
> _“He actually didn’t think much of it at first.” The other continued. “That was until even he tried to contact you. In the middle of the day, Yoongi-hyung went over to your place to check if you were resting or something.”_
> 
> _Jimin nodded to Taehyung, listening. He could already feel his eyes trying to shut close, but he fought the urge to just lie down and sleep._
> 
> _“Then, I went to Jeon’s office to ask him.” Yoongi continued the story. “I figured that if there was anyone else aside from me and Tae who would know about your situation, it would be him.”_
> 
> _“Turns out he actually knew what happened.” Taehyung said. “So after boss spilled the tea, we agreed to come here to visit you today.”_
> 
> _Right after finishing his story, Taehyung stood up from his seat beside the other designer. “Where’s the CR? My bladders about to explode!”_
> 
> _The sudden change in topic—and the fact that the new topic was Taehyung’s bladder, put a small smile on the tired male’s lips. With a fond look on his face, Jimin pointed to the door leading to the said room. Taehyung immediately ran to the comfort room and even banged the door close behind him._
> 
> _The instant the door closed, Yoongi called the younger’s name to gain his attention. Jimin turned, only to be met by Yoongi’s disappointed look._
> 
> _“I know you’re stressed and all right now, but—”_
> 
> _“Hyung,” Jimin interrupted the older, sighing. “I’m good.”_
> 
> _“Well, for now, you are.” Yoongi continued to reprimand the other. “But if you don’t put some distance between you and Jeon before your inevitable separation, you will get hurt!”_
> 
> _“But all I really did this time was I took his offer of faster travel, that’s all.” Jimin defended himself. “I just took his offer. I actually slept almost the whole way.”_
> 
> _With his answer, the look on Yoongi’s face changed from disappointment to defeat.._
> 
> _The young designer was not sure which one was better._
> 
> _“You know I’m just worried, right?” The pale male asked softly. Jimin gave him a small nod in response._
> 
> _“I’m good, hyung.” The younger answered. “I’m stronger now, don’t worry too much.”_
> 
> _Just as Jimin finished his response, the door of the comfort room opened, revealing a wet-faced Taehyung who continued to pat his face with his towel. A few steps out, the tall male stopped in his tracks and lolled his head to the side in confusion._
> 
> _“Did I miss something?” He asked. He sent the two a questioning look at the weird atmosphere inside the hospital room._
> 
> _“Nah, it’s nothing.” Yoongi answered, waving his hand for added emphasis. He then turned to the other male beside him before standing up from his seat on the couch, leaving the whole space for Jimin. “Rest and sleep, Jimin. Tae and I took the whole day off. We’d watch over your parents for you.”_
> 
> _At that point, Jimin did not even bother arguing. He was just too tired, and since Yoongi and Taehyung were people he knew he could trust with his parents’ lives, he just gladly nodded and lied down on the couch._
> 
> _He was out in less than a minute._

“So, you remember how it was kinda weird between the two when you were still working here, right?” Taehyung continued his story about the said two boys.

“What happened? Are they dating now?”

“Quite the opposite, actually.” The boy on the other end answered. “They actually fought. Like… just now.”

“Fought?” Jimin repeated questioningly. “Like…”

“Physical, yes.” Taehyung confirmed. “It was so bad, Yongsun-ssi even had to step in to stop them. Mingyu and Wonwoo aren’t here right now—they were called into department head’s office.”

“Oh my god.” Jimin replied. “That’s something. Do you know what they fought over?”

“Honestly, no.” Taehyung answered. “It was actually very, very weird. It was so quiet in the office. You weren’t here, and the two usually-loud boys were eerily quiet.”

“So, what happened?”

“I was just shocked when I heard a loud crash just to my side. When I turned, I saw Mingyu on the floor, with Wonwoo standing nearby, fuming.”

“So Wonwoo pushed Mingyu?” Jimin asked, to which Taehyung responded with a hum. “Why though?”

“I don’t know!” Taehyung answered. “Then Wonwoo straddled the still-dazed Mingyu and started attacking him. Mingyu actually got to reverse the situation just before Yongsun-ssi arrived to stop them.”

Jimin let out a sigh. “That’s sad.” He replied. “And here we are thinking there’s something between the two.”

“Yeah… well… not really.” Taehyung mumbled into the phone, confusing the other designer. “There was also something I noticed when they were pulled apart.”

The way Taehyung said it perked Jimin’s interest, causing his brow to rise. As much as he was a nice person overall, the young designer still enjoyed participating in juicy gossip sessions.

“What is it?”

“There were,” Taehyung paused, and Jimin could totally imagine him looking around him for people who could possibly hear what he was about to say. “Boners.”

_Silence._

A good five seconds passed without any sound coming from either side of the line before Jimin burst into a loud laughter, followed by the sound of Taehyung’s muffled giggling.

“Pretty big ones, at that.”

“So that’s what this is all about?” Jimin asked, words intermittently being cut by his chuckles. “Sexual tension?”

“I think.” Taehyung answered. “Oh god, how I really wish you were here to see it. It was hilarious.”

“How come other people haven’t noticed?”

“I think they did, to be honest.” The other boy laughed into the receiver. “Those bulges were hard to miss.”

“Oh god.” Jimin groaned, laughing.

“Wait, wait, here they come, listen.” Taehyung hurriedly said. Jimin winced at the sharp sound of the phone being put down on a hard surface. Taehyung probably put the phone down on his desk to pretend he was working.

“Go home, you two.” Yongsun’s voice faintly, but still audibly came through the line. “You’re clearly not fit to work today. Take the day and tomorrow off. This incident will not reach the higher ups this time, but do it again and there won’t be mercy coming from me.”

The way the woman sounded through the phone was nothing like the Yongsun that Jimin met when he was given the special assignment. Back then, the newbie thought that the beautiful lady was all wide, cheeky smiles and gentle voice.

Turns out she could also be an actual boss when needed.

Her voice was then followed by the sound of heels against the tiled floor, signaling that Yongsun had left. There were also sounds of stuff being moved around and shoved into what Jimin thought were Mingyu’s and Wonwoo respective bags.

It took a few moments before Taehyung once again picked his phone up. “They’re gone.”

“Yeah, I heard.” Jimin answered. “They’re lucky Yongsun-ssi’s kind.”

“Our whole department’s lucky, let’s be real.” Taehyung retorted, chuckling. “She’s really, really considerate. Oh yeah, I just remembered,” He continued, changing the topic. “While pretending to be doing stuff on my PC a while ago, I realized I actually have something important to finish. So yeah, I’ll talk to you again next time.”

“Next time’s tonight, right?”

“Damn you’re right.”

Jimin could not help but let out a laugh at the lack of denial on the other boy’s end. “I’ll be expecting your call, then.”

“Yep.” Taehyung answered. “So… bye for now.”

“Bye.”

Jimin waited for the beep that indicated the end of the call before he put the device away from his ear. Even though he berated his tall, obnoxious friend for calling every now and then, he really appreciated Taehyung’s efforts to keep in touch with him despite his work.

Shaking his head in fondness, Jimin mumbled to himself how much Taehyung was such a great friend.

“Jimin?” A familiar, warm voice made Jimin freeze on his spot. It was weak, nothing short of its usual effect on the young designer.

“E-Eomma?!” He asked upon spotting the small smile on the old woman’s lips as he turned after the initial shock. He did not even bother with his tears as he immediately went in for a hug. “Y-You’re awake!”

“Sorry, my son, we worried you.” She weakly said, raising her hand to pat the still-crying man’s back.

“Hell yeah, I was so worried!” Jimin responded. “But don’t ever apologize for it.”

The mother and child stayed in that position for some time. Even though the man’s position was uncomfortable, Jimin did not notice, since he was just so relieved that his mother was finally safe.

They only pulled themselves apart when Jimin remembered that he needed to call the doctor to tell them she was up.

He quickly said this to his mother, to which Mrs. Park only replied with a smile and a nod to say that it was fine. With haste, Jimin ran out of the room and informed the first nurse he saw that his mother was finally awake.

The doctor arrived not long after, and started examining Jimin’s mother. After checking her vital signs, the doctor gave both Jimin and his mother a warm smile.

“Congratulations, Mrs. Park.” He started. “Your statistics are back to normal. You’ll only to rest a bit more and you’ll be in perfect shape again.”

“Thanks a lot, doc.” Jimin bowed to the man in white, who proceeded to checking his still-unconscious father on the other bed.

The worry on Jimin’s shoulders were greatly lessened when the doctor said his father would most likely wake up, too, soon.

Once the medical team left the room, Jimin went over to his mother’s bed and sat. He took the woman’s wrinkled hand into his own and caressed it. “How are you feeling, eomma?”

“I’m tired, mostly.” She answered. “And hungry.”

“You’re hungry?” Jimin repeated, standing up from the bed. “What do you want to eat?”

“Hmm…” The old lady hummed, thinking. “My stomach’s still weak, so give me something easy to digest.”

“Uhm…” The man looked around him, stopping when he spotted the fruit basket brought by Yoongi and Taehyung when they arrived. “Do want cantaloupe?”

“That’ll do.” She answered, smiling. “Thanks, son.”

“No problem, eomma.”

After grabbing the said fruit, Jimin went over to the comfort room to wash the cantaloupe prior to slicing it open. He then cut the flesh away from the thick skin and cut them into small cubes before serving them on a plate.

Jimin watched his mother as she took small bites of the fruit and chewed them thoroughly. It was quiet in the hospital room, and it reeked of the usual hospital smell, but Jimin could not be more relieved. His parents were safe.

The silence of the moment was broken when once again, Jimin’s phone rang in his pocket. He quickly excused himself from his mother and went out of the room as he fished the device out.

“Don’t tell me it’s him again.” Jimin said to himself, already imagining that it was once again Taehyung who contacted him. “Well at least there’s something new and good we could talk about this time.”

Jimin could already hear the squeal the other designer would let out once he learned of the progress in his parents’ condition. Except when he took a look at the caller’s name, it was not Taehyung at all.

It was Jungkook.

The man’s brows knitted. All of a sudden, he felt sort of nervous at the thought of his boss contacting him at the moment. Not that it was weird or anything… it was just that Jungkook never contacted him again after the day he drove Jimin to Busan.

Not that he was waiting for the call or anything.

“Hello?” Jimin answered the call. “Sir.”

“Hyung!” Jungkook’s happy, excited voice from the other end of the line pleasantly caught Jimin off guard. “Hyung, I have good news!”

“Oh, me, too, actually!” Jimin retorted. He could practically see the stupid bunny smile Jungkook could be wearing at the moment. “But you first.”

“Nah, you first, hyung.” The younger answered. “Oh, by the way, I haven’t really contacted you since a few days ago. How are things going with your parents?”

“That’s the good news, actually.” Jimin answered excitedly. “Eomma’s up and well! And the doctor said even appa should be up soon.”

“R-Really?” Jungkook asked, to which the older responded with a happy hum. “That’s great! Congratulations, hyung!”

“I know! Oh god, I was so relieved when she opened her eyes.” The designer answered. “And of course, I have you to thank for that. Thanks a lot, Jungkook.”

“It’s no problem.” Jungkook replied. “I’m happy I was able to help you.”

The way it sounded coming from the younger’s mouth—even though it was just through the phone—made Jimin’s chest painfully clench around nothing. It just sounded too… sincere.

And Jimin did not know what to make of his body’s involuntary response. So instead of dwelling on it any longer, he just decided to continue the conversation.

“So, what about the good news you were going to tell me?”

“Oh yeah, that.” Jungkook said. “Guess who got a deal with Pink Princess?”

Jimin’s eyes widened. “Oh my god.”

“Yep! We did it!” Jungkook cheered from the other end. There was clanking of shoes against tile floors from the other end, probably from the younger jumping in joy. “We got the deal! We’re just waiting for the contract signing and it’s done!”

“Oh my god!” Jimin clamped a hand over his mouth. “T-That’s great! Congratulations!”

“After everything, hyung, we finally did it!” The CEO hollered. “And of course, the whole of Wings has you to thank for this success.”

“Nah, I was just doing my job.” Jimin answered. “And besides, I enjoyed working with them during their anniversary party, so I really didn’t see it as tedious work.”

“Still,” Jungkook answered. “Thank you, hyung.”

There he went again. Jimin internally berated himself for reacting the way he reacted with just about anything that sounded sincere coming from Jungkook. Maybe it was just him not really being used with the usually-moody CEO being all nice.

“Fine, then.” He replied. “If you really want to thank me, do it personally.”

“Hmmm… what do you mean?”

“Well… uhm… we really didn’t get to finish the meal you said was your treat so…” Jimin trailed off, suddenly feeling embarrassed for asking to be repaid. “Maybe you can treat me again to a nice meal next time?”

There was a momentary moment of silence from the other end of the line before Jungkook finally answered again.

“O-Oh, yeah, definitely!” The younger agreed. “Same place? Once your back and we’re not busy?”

“Deal.” Jimin answered. Neither of them said a thing after Jimin’s response that it started to feel awkward.

Just when the older was about to say something to save the both of them from the weird atmosphere, Jungkook opened his mouth to speak.

“I… I’ve got something to do, hyung.” The boss said. “I’ll talk to you some other time?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Jimin replied. “Go ahead.”

“Bye.”

“Bye.”

The line immediately went off once Jimin bid his good bye to the younger. He headed back into the hospital room, mind full of the overwhelming turn of events in his life.

Both his parents got hospitalized, and just when he was about to lose his mind, suddenly they were fine. There was good tea waiting for him and Taehyung back in the office, thanks for the tension between Mingyu and Wonwoo.

And Jungkook.

Jungkook was just starting to grow on him as a person. He was not as bad as he thought—not at all. If anything, Jimin could say he was rather lucky to have the young and talented CEO as his boss.

And after his hard work for Wings, they were about to close the deal with Pink Princess.

Nothing started smoothly for the aspiring designer, but right now, he could say he was doing well.

And as he was met by his mother’s loving smile, Jimin figured that life was starting to be good to him.

Everything was fine.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Again, just like how I've been starting every chapter lately, I am really, really sorry for the very long wait. And by now, you would know that the main reason for me not being to upload sooner is because of my busy schedule as a student.
> 
> So... here's the next chapter! I actually think I kind of... messed this one up? I feel like I am not writing as well as I used to (that is, if I even wrote well in the past, lol), so please feel free to comment not just on the plot, but also on the way I wrote it. I would truly appreciate it.
> 
> So, without further ado, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!!!(?)

Jimin’s parents’ condition improved much faster than everyone had expected. Mr. Park woke up a day after Mrs. Park did, and after two more days of bed rest and constant monitoring of vital signs, the doctor gave the family the go signal to leave the hospital.

At first, the older ones were bothered by the fact that they did not see Jimin settle any of the bills, but they simply dismissed it as the designer being his responsible self again and paying everything in advance. Not that Jimin was complaining, though—in fact, he was rather thankful that his parents did not question how to managed to pay their the expenses for their relatively long stay in the facility, because if they did, he would not be able to lie to them well.

Once they were back in their residence, Jimin stayed over for two more days before being shooed away by his parents, insisting that they were already fine and that Jimin could then go back to his work. They was a lot of whining and clinging that ensued before they finally convinced the young man to head back to Seoul. They even needed the help of Jimin’s mother’s life-long best friend, who was also their neighbor, by letting her promise to him that she would watch over the old couple and keep them company.

“Come on, Jiminie,” His mother had jokingly said. “You need to head back to work! If you don’t we’re gonna run out of money to buy maintenance medicines and proper food!”

Honestly, that was one of the major things that finally got him packing up. He did not want to deprive his beloved folks of the good and healthy stuff they needed.

And that was how the young designer found himself with a handful of clingy and “friend-deprived” full-grown-but-not-quite man named Kim Taehyung.

“God, Jiminie I missed you so much!” Taehyung said while practically launching himself towards the shorter. “It’s good to have you back!”

“Yeah, good to be back, too, actually.” Jimin responded. “I did actually miss working.”

With Taehyung in tow, Jimin headed over to his own cubicle and began fixing his workspace to get started. He was waiting for his desktop to boot up when he heard one of his officemates call his attention.

“Oh, Park Jimin-ssi, you’re back.” Said man turned on his chair to face Wonwoo, who was smiling at him. Jimin simply nodded at him in acknowledgement, and he was about to face his computer again when Mingyu came into view.

“Oh, Mingyu, good morning!” Taehyung waved at the younger, prompting both Jimin and Wonwoo to turn their attention to the said man. Mingyu waved back at the three with a smile, but his expression quickly changed into that of embarrassment when his gaze met Wonwoo’s.

Jimin turned to the other boy just in time to see him going back to his own cubicle with rosy cheeks.

“That was… weird.” Jimin whispered to Taehyung, whose cheeks were bunched up as he struggled to hold his laugh.

The taller leaned down close to Jimin’s ear to whisper. “Oh my god, Jiminie, I have something to tell you about them. It’s so funny!”

“Really?”

“Yes, oh my god it’s been a torture to work around them these past few days! They’re basically just blushing messes every time they—”

“Oh, what’s this morning tea?” A woman’s voice suddenly joined in, cutting Taehyung’s gossiping to Jimin. “Good morning.”

“Good morning, Yongsun-ssi.” Jimin and Taehyung both greeted the female. “Tae here was just… updating me, on what has transpired in my absence.”

“Oh, I see.” Yongsun answered. “That’s so nice of you, Taehyung.” She said towards the said boy, who answered with his boxy smile. She then turned her attention to Jimin and said, “Park Jimin-ssi, please come to my office.”

“Now?”

“Yes, please.”

“Okay, ma’am.” Jimin answered, standing up from his seat and walking around the cubicles to go to the older’s office. He quickly mouthed a “later” to Taehyung to indicate that he still was interested in whatever the taller was about to say.

Once Jimin arrived in the department head’s office, he immediately headed for the chair in front of the woman’s table and sat down.

“So, welcome back, Park.” Yongsun greeted him with a smile. “How are your parents?”

“Ah, yes, they’re recovering, ma’am.” Jimin answered. “Thank you for the concern. And sorry for the long absence. I mean… I just got back from working with Pink Princess and I haven’t really done much yet, and there I was disappearing again.”

“Don’t worry about it, I completely understand.” The older answered. “Actually, I called you here not just to welcome you back, but to… inform you of a good news.”

“Oh, okay.” Jimin took a deep breath, and straightened on his seat. “I really don’t know why I’m getting nervous but okay.”

“There’s no need to be nervous, I swear.” Yongsun answered. “Remember the special design assignment that I gave you before the collaboration with Pink Princess?” She asked, to which Jimin answered with a nod. “Well, we’ve decided that we liked your proposal the best. So the project goes to you.”

“W-What?” Jimin asked, surprised. “You’re not kidding, right?”

“No, I’m not.” Yongsun answered. “What’s even more impressive is that I know you did the proposal under really short time constraints.”

“Oh my god, this is great!” Jimin rejoiced, standing up from his chair and bouncing on his feet a few times. “Thank you, ma’am! I won’t disappoint you!”

“I know you won’t.” Yongsun answered. She chuckled at the younger’s repeated bows of gratitude before physically stopping him from giving even more bows. “Now, before you get back to your work, the CEO asked me to tell you he wants you in his office once you’re done here.”

“CEO?” Jimin asked, tilting his head to the side. Now that he thought about it, the last time he heard about the younger was the day when his mother woke up. “As in Mr. Jeon?”

“Yep.” The woman answered. “Who else would it be?”

“Right.” Jimin scratched the back of his head. “You’re right. I’ll get going then, ma’am.”

“Okay.” Yongsun replied. Jimin then gave the girl another bow before turning on his heels to leave the office.

Once out, he headed straight to this cubicle to tell Taehyung about what he learned. The taller basically lifted him up in joy when he learned that Jimin got the special assignment. The shorter had to cover Taehyung’s mouth to stop him from bragging about it to everyone in the office.

“Oh, oh, here’s the thing that I was telling you before Yongsun-ssi came.” Taehyung went back to whispering once he was done fussing over his best friend’s achievement. “You see, I told you before that—”

“Wait, Tae, I was actually called by Mr. Jeon to his office.” Jimin cut his words. “Do you mind telling me later when I get back?”

“Aww, come on.” Taehyung groaned. “You know what? I’ll just go with you.”

“What?” Jimin asked. “You think the CEO wants to talk to you as well?”

“I’ll just go to Yoongi-hyung’s office, then.” The taller answered. “I’ll tell you about the gossip along the way, and I’ll just get off the elevator at the music department’s floor.”

Jimin raised his brow at his friend, confused as to why Taehyung would just go to Yoongi’s department at such a weird time, when it was just the start of the day. The last time he checked, there was no reason for a designer to be in the music department.

Not that he was complaining, though. He was just wondering if something transpired between the two while he was out.

Well, Yoongi would probably tell him if something happened, so for now, Jimin would just assume that Taehyung would only give the pale male a visit.

“What’s with the face?” Taehyung asked, confused by the questioning expression on the shorter’s face. “Did I say something wrong?”

“No, no, nothing.” Jimin shook his head, choosing not to bother Taehyung about it for the mean time. “Let’s go.”

With that, the duo left the design department and head for the elevator. Luck was with them for it was still too early for other employees to be roaming the halls, so Taehyung was free to talk about what he was going to say.

“So, remember what I told you about Mingyu and Wonwoo fighting not too long ago?” Jimin nodded at the taller’s question. “Well, there’s an update on that.”

“Yeah?” Jimin asked, raising a brow. As much as he hated to admit it to anyone else, he really, really loved gossips. “What is it?”

“The day after they fought, the two were absent.” Taehyung started with his story. “And then the day after that, they were back, and the first thing I noticed was that both were walking really weirdly.”

“What?”

“Yeah, like something’s stuck between their legs or something. I even heard them hissing uncomfortably whenever they leave and return to their cubicles.”

Jimin burst out laughing. “Are you serious?”

“Of course! You can even ask other people in the department, I’m pretty sure they noticed it, too!” Taehyung defended his claims. The two of them entered the special elevator, which was, once again, devoid of any other passenger. “And there’s more!”

“What is it?”

“At first, it really wasn’t there,” Taehyung started, but paused when he remembered there were security cameras in the elevator. He then got closer to Jimin and whisper. “Hey, Jiminie, are those security cameras…”

“No, Tae, I don’t think they have microphones in them.” Jimin answered, already know what the other was going to ask. “Come on, you have to finish your story before we reach Yoongi-hyung’s floor!”

“Ah, okay, okay.” Taehyung nodded, clearly also excited about sharing the tea with Jimin. “At first, I didn’t notice it, but in the afternoon, hickies appeared on their necks.”

“Hickeys?” Jimin gasped. “As in…”

“Yeah, like… love marks.” Taehyung confirmed. “I don’t know if they were actually there before the day started and they were really good with using concealers, or they… I don’t know, made up in the comfort rooms, but yeah.” He shrugged. “Hickeys.”

“Oh my god.” Jimin clapped softly. “We were right.”

“Yeah, I think that fight was just tension, and right after they… resolved that tension.” The taller agreed. “The whole day—no, actually even today, as you just witnessed a while ago, they get really awkward and blush whenever they have any sort of contact. And I swear, if you’d watch them later after you get back to the department, you’ll see one of them staring at the other… like they’re stripping the other with their eyes or something like that.”

“Oh god…” Jimin groaned. “I could only imagine how long they’ve been thirsting for each other that they basically couldn’t control themselves now.”

“Yeah.” Taehyung nodded. Just after that, the elevator dinged, and the door opened. “We’re on music department’s floor. I’ll get going now.”

“Okay.” Jimin said. “See yah later.”

And just like that, Jimin was alone again. He chuckled again at the not-so-revelation that Taehyung shared with him. Really, he was happy for his two officemates. Jimin believed that it was just a matter of time before they profess their undying love for each other, and then it would be a happy ending for them.

Well, not really, but you get the point. It was a step closer to that.

Jimin sighed. He looked up, and watched as the numbers at the top of the door climbed up. He was happy for them, but he could not help but wonder at when he would get _there,_ too.

Maybe if Jungkook—

“Wait, what?” Jimin’s eye widened at the sudden realization on where his thoughts were leading him. He quickly shook his head free of the bothering thoughts, knowing full well that it was just the hopeful him doing that wishful thinking again.

The wishful thinking that had not done anything good for him thus far.

 

 

Jimin shortly reached the top floor where the CEO’s office was located. However, he was perplexed to see the door slightly ajar once he got in front of it.

“Well, this is the first.” Jimin mumbled to himself as he entered the room, closing the door behind him. The blinds were closed—the fluorescent bulbs on the ceiling filled the place with bright white light. The few times that Jimin had been in the younger’s office, the blinds were open and only one light bulb was turned on.

What changed?

“Uhm… Sir Jeon?”

“Jimin-hyung?”

The sound of his name being called made the designer turn his head immediately to the general direction of the source, only to be met with a once in a lifetime sight.

There was a slight lag on the part of both parties before they both screamed, with Jimin promptly turning his head away and covering his eyes, and Jungkook scurrying back into the bathroom.

“Oh my god! Jeon Jungkook why’d you do that?!” Jimin yelled, feeling the heat accumulating on his cheeks. “Get clothed! Oh my god!”

“Sorry!” Jungkook’s muffled voice echoed from the other side of the bathroom door. “I wasn’t even naked…”

“I heard that!” Jimin answered. “I still am not supposed to see my boss with only a towel wrapped around his waist, am I?!”

“Well… yeah.” Jungkook answered. The bathroom door opened once again, followed by the sound of slippers. “You can turn around now, it’s fine.”

“Oh lord.” Jimin groaned, turning to face Jungkook again, who was already clad in a bath robe. Still too revealing for Jimin’s comfort, but it was better. “Why even…”

“I slept here last night.” Jungkook answered before once again disappearing behind what Jimin assumed was a walk-in closet. “So I just took a bath here.”

“But why was the door open when I came here?” Jimin asked, still feeling the effects of the scene one his cheeks, but already recovering. “I’m assuming you opened the lights and closed the blinds since you were going to walk… half-naked in the office. But why the open door though?”

Jungkook’s head popped out of the corner of the walk-in closet, confused expression on his face. “What?”

“The door was open.”

The younger then disappeared again. “I don’t know… well… Momo was here a while ago, before I took a bath.” Jungkook answered. The response hit Jimin unexpectedly.

“What do you mean?”

“Before I went to take a bath, I asked her to take a couple of documents to different departments.” The CEO continued to explain. “That’s weird… she doesn’t make mistakes like that.”

“Oh… I see.” Jimin nodded. “And why did you take a bath if you were expecting me?”

“I was expecting you, but not _this_ early.” Jungkook defended himself. “I didn’t think Yongsun-ssi would send you here this early. I told her to send you here when the department isn’t busy.”

The designer found the taller’s responses reasonable, and just decided to get straight to the point. As much as he liked the CEO’s company, the two of them still had work to do, and since Jimin just got back from a very long time away from the company, he felt like he had the responsibility to make it up to the design department.

“So… how are your parents?” Jungkook asked, snapping Jimin out of his thoughts. The younger emerged fully clothed in his usual suit and tie, looking extra fresh since he just took a bath.

The question brought a small smile on the shorter’s face. “They’re doing great.” He answered. “Actually, I also wanted to personally thank you for what you’ve done for my family. Even though I didn’t ask for it, you paid for the hospital expenses.”

“I’m just doing what’s right.” Jungkook answered. “You’ve done so much for the company… for me. It’s only right if I do you good, too, right?”

“Right.” Jimin nodded in understanding, fully grasping that what the younger did was out of compassion for people in need… and not anything else.

Not that he thought of anything else, of course. Because that would be inappropriate.

“Uhm… you called me here to… ask about my parents?”

“Well, that’s part of the agenda.” Jungkook answered. “But the main topic is that… the contract signing with Pink Princess is tonight. And I want you to come with me.”

“Why is it so fast?” Jimin asked, shocked that the deal went a lot faster than he thought it would.

Jungkook chuckled. “What’s the matter? After this deal, everything will be back to normal again.”

“W-Well…” Jimin stuttered out, looking at an interesting figuring on the younger’s desk. “I… I just am not used to these corporate deals. I thought they take a lot longer.”

“While the two of us were busy winning over Jin-hyung’s trust, the company continued to negotiate with Pink Princess non-stop.” Jungkook answered. “So… yeah. You’re coming with me tonight.”

“Isn’t that like… a legit dinner? With company heads?” Jimin asked, to which the younger replied with a nod. “Wouldn’t it be—”

“Inappropriate?” Jungkook finished the older’s question. “Don’t worry, it’s actually Jin-hyung who asked me if I could take you with me later. He said he missed your cheeks.”

The designer groaned at the mention of his cheeks, much to Jungkook’s delight. He knew Jimin low-key hated his slightly chubby cheeks. And now that he thought about it, he really did not have the chance to pinch them.

_Wait._

Was he thinking about pinching Jimin’s cheeks just now?

Well, who was he to blame? The short hyung’s cheeks were really cute. There was nothing wrong with thinking of them that way.

Right.

“Okay.” Jimin answered. “I’ll just… grab my suit later. I left it in the apartment.”

“No need for that.” Jungkook said. “Just come here later after your shift.”

“What?” The shorter raised his brow in confusion. “Why?”

“Just do it.” Jungkook responded. He then pulled the blinds open and afterwards switched the lights off. Once the office was back to its normal state, the CEO went over to his desk and sat down.  “Anything else?”

“Nothing.” Jimin answered. He was still confused as to why Jungkook wanted him to go straight to his office after his shift, but the smart CEO surely had it all planned. He would just follow him, for now.

And with that, Jimin left the office after exchanging “Good bye”s and “See you later”s with the younger, and went on with his day.

 

 

Upon arriving at his cubicle, he was surprised to see that he made it before Taehyung did. Jimin was pretty sure his conversation with Jungkook lasted a while, so the fact that his… eccentric friend was not back yet puzzled the young designer in a pleasant way.

“If those two actually get together, they have to give me credit for it.” He chuckled to himself as he opened his email to check for any important matter. Now that he had thought about it, since his arrival at the prestigious company, people around him had been getting into romantic relationships.

Wonwoo’s and Mingyu’s was probably there already before he was employed, but Jimin could have sworn that one time Mingyu tried to hit on him initiated just enough tension between the two for their relationship to progress.

And there is Yoongi and Taehyung. Now, Jimin was not sure if Taehyung liked the pale male back, but again, thanks to him, Yoongi finally got to meet someone who caught his eye.  Though it was kind of weird that they had only met, since both had been working at Wings long before his entrance.

And then there is Jungkook and him, though theirs was a _lot_ more complicated. Jimin was not even sure if he could call it anything more than a boss-employee relationship, since given the CEO’s reputation of being able to do anything for the business, it would not surprising if even his nice behavior towards the designer was just for the Pink Princess deal.

After checking his emails for other non-work related things, the designer started on his tasks at hand.

Yongsun had emailed him his proposal with the comments, so since nothing among his tasks demanded immediate attention, he decided to read those first.

Plugging in his earphones, the designer started on the day’s work. He finished reviewing the notes that his department head had left for him to take note of in less than an hour, and made notes of his own for another hour. For the next couple of hours he focused on commenting on the design concepts, videos, and articles made by his officemates.

He was only stopped from playing another demo of a DIY work desk renovation by a hand tapping on his shoulder, prompting him to turn around in his seat to see who did it.

“Oh, Tae, wassup?” Jimin slurred in English. “When did you get back?”

“Hours ago.” Taehyung answered. “You didn’t even notice since you’re so immersed in your work. Do you even know what time it is?”

Turning to the lower right corner of his screen, he was surprised that it was already well past noon.

“12:15”

“Don’t you think you’re missing something?” The taller asked, and Jimin only answered with a shake of his head. “Lunch, pabo!”

“Oh.” Just in time, his stomach grumbled, making the two of them laugh. “Should we go then?”

“Yeah, Yoongi-hyung’s waiting.” Taehyung answered. “He asked if we could just eat in the new cafeteria today, since he had a lot of work to do, and I said yes.”

“Wow… you didn’t even ask me.”

“Not that it would’ve mattered, you’re gonna say yes either way.”

“Yeah pretty much.”

After locking his computer and reorganizing his table—much to Taehyung’s disappointment, because who does that?—Jimin grabbed his bag and followed the taller to the cafeteria, all the while talking about how their day had been so far.

When they reached the mess hall, they found the music department head standing just beside the entrance, looking just as bored as always. He was scrolling on his phone with earphones plugged in. The sight brought memories of their past to Jimin, making him smile fondly.

“Yoongi-hyung!” Taehyung yelled out loud, and surprisingly, said male looked up from his device, and almost instantly lit up.

“Hey.” He muttered, removing the accessory plugged into his ears. “It’s about time.”

“I thought you wouldn’t hear Taehyung because of those earphones.” Jimin said to the older. “Amazing ability you have there.”

“Yah!” Yoongi threatened the smirking boy. “I… The song just finished, okay? That’s why I heard.”

“Okay.”

“Come on, you two, I’m starving.” The tallest among them groaned, taking the two by their hands and dragging them into the queue. Jimin chuckled at the pink tainting Yoongi’s cheeks when they stopped.

“You’re so cute, hyung.”

“No I’m not, I’m cool.”

“Yeah… but your face is warm.”

“Anyways,” Yoongi changed the topic immediately, stopping the younger from attacking him any further. “How are things at home?”

“Oh, my parents are fine, thanks.” Jimin answered. “How about you, hyung? How are things? Tae told me you’re really busy.”

“Oh god, you don’t say.” Yoongi groaned. He took the plate handed to him by Taehyung who was too busy ogling at the food in front of him to join in the conversation. “Tons of musical scores to evaluate, and I myself am working on a collaboration.”

“Seems pretty exciting.”

“It is, actually.” Yoongi agreed. “But it’s tiring.”

“Don’t stay up too late, okay?” Jimin reminded the older. “Don’t sacrifice your beloved sleep.”

The older proceeded to pointing at the food that he wanted on his plate. Jimin was told by Taehyung through phone about the new cafeteria in the office when he was away nursing his parents back to health, and he remembered being so happy about it since he did not have to worry too much about his food expenses anymore.

“You should know by now that I won’t sleep early just because you told me to.” Yoongi retorted, to which Jimin only hummed in agreement.

After filling their plates with food, the three went over to an unoccupied table and began eating. As expected, Taehyung had his dish filled with meaty foods, in contrast to Jimin’s vegetable-rich one. Yoongi’s was more on the balanced side.

“You guys—I thought we were all hungry here?” Taehyung asked, his eyes scrutinizing the plates in front of him. “This food is free! Why didn’t you get everything you could?”

“You know I don’t eat that much, Tae.” Jimin answered.

“That’s bullshit.” Taehyung retorted. He pricked a chunks of meat from his plate and placed them on Jimin’s, ignoring the latter’s protests. “You need more protein, ChimChim.”

“What?”

“And you, YoongiBear, you need more protein, too.” He continued, shoveling more meat onto the pale male’s plate.

“No, I don’t.” Yoongi protested. “And what kind of a shit name is YoongiBear?”

“It’s cute.” Jimin shrugged, smiling.

“That’s the problem, I don’t like cute things.”

“Don’t lie.” Jimin countered. “You liked it, and you like other cute things… and people.” He added, gesturing to Taehyung who was then already busy devouring whatever was on his plate.

Yoongi’s blush deepened from light pink to red. “Shut up, Park, or I will destroy you.”

“Okay.”

And with that, the three of them continued to eat, talking about random things that came to their mind. Every now and then, Jimin would tease Yoongi about his obvious crush to the oblivious designer, making the older scowl at him.

Jimin found all of it cute—how his self-proclaimed cool hyung was all bark and scowl at him but soft and smiley whenever he talked to the other. He almost wanted to point in out and complain about the special treatment, but that could mess things up. He would just let Yoongi handle his feelings on his own, since he was much better at that than Jimin ever was.

It was Taehyung who finished first, and by a huge margin at that. His companions could not imagine how the tall boy remained slender despite his huge appetite. Genetics was just so awfully unfair.

The group promptly left the cafeteria in favor of going on with their respective works when they were done eating. Jimin resumed his work of participating in a collaborative review of several demos and concepts. Every now and then, he would be stopped by either Taehyung asking him a random question, or a loud noise in the office caused by either Minyu or Wonwoo tripping over something or knocking something else.

As much as he was happy for the two, their charades were already starting to be bothersome for the office. However, he knew he was not in the position to just step in and intervene.

Though Taehyung thought differently, and yelled at the two to just “take care of your urges before you burn the office down” after a particularly strong crashing sound filled the office when Mingyu tripped over thin air and shattered a mug of coffee on the floor, making Wonwoo stand up to help the other, only to end up tripping _on_ the coffee puddle after slipping on it.

But other than those interruptions, the rest of Jimin’s day was pretty normal in a sense that all that happened was his work. And he was quite happy about it. After all the drama from his family, and the deal with Pink Princess, he was finally getting the break he deserved.

“Oh, right.” Jimin said to himself, glancing at the time on his computer. “I still have a dinner meeting later.”

As dismissal time drew closer, his officemates left the place one by one, already done with their work. Taehyung also left the shorter after a quick gossip session on the two awkward younger officemates, who also left work at the same time.

Once he was finished with the collaborative review, Jimin turned his computer off, packed up, and headed straight for the CEO’s office, where he found Jungkook already dressed differently. He was wearing a red tuxedo with red pants.

“Hey, it’s Mr. Menstruation suit!” Jimin joked, pulling a laugh from the younger.

“Actually,” Jungkook started, heading over to the full body mirror in the office. “It’s Mr. Menstruation Tux this time.”

“Oh… I see.” The older nodded, taking a seat on the couch and checking the time on the wall clock. “Why are you already dressed? Isn’t it too early?”

“You know how Jin-hyung liked to be early, right?” Jungkook asked. “Well, we wouldn’t want him to wait. For the two of us, at least.” He continued. He then disappeared into his walk-in closet and moments later emerged again carrying another set of tuxedo. This time, it was blue.

“Woah… you’re still choosing an outfit?” Jimin asked. All he got for an answer was the said set being handed to him. “What…”

“These are yours.” Jungkook smiled. “There’s the bathroom. Go freshen up and change.”

“What?” The older asked, eyes wide in shock. “This is… too much…”

“Think of it as a token for your help.” Jungkook shrugged, still smiling. “And don’t think of the price. Compared to the amount of money we could’ve lost if we lost the deal, that’s nothing.”

“But—”

“Get dressed, quick!” The younger simply pushed the still-shocked designer into the bathroom to shut him up, and went back to his desk to wait. Jungkook already foresaw Jimin refusing the gift, and so he had already thought that just forcing him to wear it for the dinner could be the only way to make him accept it.

It took some time for Jimin to come out of the bathroom—longer than Jungkook had anticipated, but once he emerged out, it was as if a replay of that night.

But this time, without the fireworks.

Jungkook did not know if Jimin was actually moving in slow motion, or he was just imagining things. It was unfair, the CEO thought, that shorter always had that slow motion effect whenever he appeared in a good suit, or in this case, tuxedo.

“Wow…” Jungkook did not bother hiding his amazement, even standing up and slow clapping for the older, who gave him a confused look. “It looks great on you.”

“T-Thanks.” Jimin stuttered out. He felt blood creep up to his face at the compliment. “And it fits perfectly, too. How did you…”

“I’m good at remembering details, hyung.” The boss answered before grabbing his briefcase and heading for the door. “Let’s go, then?”

“Are you sure it looks okay?” Jimin asked skeptically, heading over to the full length mirror to check. “What if—”

He was stopped by firm hands spinning him around by his shoulder, coming face to face with the younger’s red tuxedo. He then felt the hands tugging on the lapels of his top to smooth them out.

Jimin looked up to ask. “What are you—?”

“I just noticed your lapel slightly folded.” Jungkook answered. “There. Perfect.”

Jimin felt the younger’s hands play with the seams of the tuxedo, as if tracing the edges to check for imperfections. He suddenly felt hyperaware of the CEO’s presence—his scent, his voice, his breathing, and even their height difference.

After a few moments, the two locked eyes with each other, and this time, it was Jimin who witnessed the world slow down.

The way Jungkook’s eyelashes flicked when he blinked. The way his pupils dilated at the gaze. The way he wetted his lips with his tongue.

And just as quickly everything happened, it was also all gone when a momentary look of distress crossed the CEO’s face, followed by him stepping back from the dazed Jimin.

“L-Let’s go, hyung.” Jungkook suddenly said, heading over to the couch where he left his briefcase and going for the door. “We’re going to be late.”

“Right, the dinner.” Jimin nodded. He quickly took a deep breath to recompose himself before following right behind the taller.

Jimin thought that what just happened would make things awkward for them for the duration of the travel, but he was pleasantly surprised when Jungkook started talking about work again when they entered the elevator. It was relief, of course, since Jimin did not have to deal with an awkward drive to the restaurant, but it also bothered him.

What just happened… did it not have any effect on Jungkook?

As much as Jimin wanted to know the answer to that question, he also was not ready for it. Though if the look on the younger’s face was of any indication, Jimin would conclude that it did affect his boss in some way.

 

 

The ride to the restaurant was also far from uncomfortable. Jungkook had turned the radio on and put it in a channel that played upbeat KPop, which both of the enjoyed. For every group that went on, they talked about their favorite members of the group, as well as their favorite songs. Of course, they would get into heated arguments of who had a better favorite, but in the end, they always settle on the conclusion that all members were great.

“Is it here?” Jimin asked when he noticed the car slowing down. Jungkook only nodded to him in response as he drove straight to the roofed part in front of the entrance. He stopped right in front of the door and got out of the car. The action confused the designer, since he was pretty sure they were not supposed to park in front of the door.

So all he could do was watch as his boss—but for now, his boyfriend—rounded the front of the car and opened his door for him. He almost thanked Jungkook, if it was not for the shit eating grin on the taller boy’s face.

“What?”

“You may get out of the car now, madam.” Jungkook mocked, offering his hand to the older, who only rolled his eyes at him before surprising Jungkook by actually taking it. “Did you really wait for me to open the door for you?”

“No, stupid.” Jimin answered. “I was just confused why you parked the car in front of the main entrance.”

“Don’t worry, they’ll take care of it.”

“What do you mean—”

Before the shorter could finish his question, a staff came up to them and held out his hand, as if asking for something to be given to him. Jungkook then gave the man his car keys before nonchalantly leading the way, his free hand buried in his pocket.

“Oh… right.” Jimin nodded in understanding. “This is how they do this in luxurious places.” He continued to walk as he inspected the place, noticing the tall ceiling and the detailed painting of the sky covering it. As expected from a lavish place, a lot of things were gold plated.

“Even here, hyung?” Jungkook chuckled, catching the older’s attention. He smiled as he continued to walk backwards to watch the small hyung scrutinize the details of the place. “Can you like… stop inspecting designs for a few hours?”

“I’m not inspecting designs. I was just admiring them.”

“Jungkook! Jiminie!”

At the mention of their name, the pair snapped their attention to the entrance from where they came from and saw Seokjin and Hoseok entering the place.

“Hoseok-hyung!” Jimin answered with an energy to match the older designer’s. He then went over to him and gave him a hug, afterwards also hugging the CEO who was with him.

“Oh my god, Jiminie, you’ve grown so much!” Seokjin kiddingly said to the younger, causing Jimin to let out a cute whine.

“You’re early today?” Seokjin asked.

“Yeah… Jungkookie said he didn’t want to be late this time, since it’s important.” Jimin answered, the nickname slipping naturally. “He even forced me to wear this matching blue tux, so we’d match.”

“Omo, that’s so cute!” Hoseok commented as they continued to walk to catch up with Jungkook, who only watched them interact with a smile on his face. “Look at you boyfriend, Jiminie, giving you all that heart eyes!”

And true enough, when Jimin turned to look at his for-now-boyfriend, Jimin saw the fond smile on the CEO’s face. The happy, content look on Jungkook’s face made Jimin smile, too.

“Oh gosh, you guys are so sweet I’m starting to hate you.” Seokjin let out fake gagging sounds, followed by a laugh. “Let’s go to our reserved room.”

And with that, the four of them went to the room reserved for their dinner meeting. As expected, they were the first ones who arrived, giving them the freedom to choose their spots. Jungkook and Seokjin sat next to each other, while Jimin and Hoseok sat to either side of the two CEOs. The room was gradually filled with other men and women in formal attire, and every single time someone arrived, everyone stood up to bow.

The table was naturally split into two sides as the seats were filled. Once everyone was present, Seokjin cued the staff to bring them the food for the night.

Plates and plates of various food was soon delivered to the table. Jimin had to consciously stop himself from letting out sounds of amazement at the selection before him. He had been to bigger buffets and celebrations, and had seen a wider selection and a larger amount of food, but what made the current meal different was that everything was just… expensive.

“So, everyone,” Seokjin started, standing up from his seat to speak. “Good evening. Tonight marks a new milestone for our companies as we form what is… hopefully, a beneficial bond. And I, Kim Seokjin, CEO of Pink Princess, promise to Wings that we will stay loyal to our deal will take into account our partnership in the decisions our company will be making in the future.” He confidently said before taking his glass into his hands. “Cheers!”

“Cheers!” All of the men and women around the table followed suit and soon the room was filled with sounds of glasses clinking against each other. Once the sound had died down, Jungkook stood up from his seat, and proceeded to give his short speech.

“First of all, it is of great honor to share this table with my colleagues and of course, my soon-to-be colleagues.” He started, gesturing to everyone around the table with his wine glass. “May this deal of ours bring nothing but success to both companies. And I, Jeon Jungkook, CEO of Wings, swear to do our part in maintaining a healthy relationship with you. I am looking forward to the amazing things we will be achieving together. Cheers!”

“Cheers!”

Jimin watched Jungkook as he confidently acknowledged the heads of both companies, amazed at how well the younger carried himself. It was at times like this when Jimin questioned if he really was older than his boss, since basing only from the way Jungkook acted and thought, it would seem that he had already lived twice as long as he actually did.

It made Jimin question just what kind of environment the younger grew in for him to be what he was.

After the formalities, it was Hoseok to announce happily that it was finally time to “dig in”. Now that was not very formal at all, but Jimin was not complaining. With the formal-ness around him, the casualness of Hoseok’s words was a welcome and much-needed break for the designer.

After the dinner, which lasted for around two hours, the contract signing began. Jimin immediately felt the tension once the CEOs took out their copies of the contract—it was the same tension that can be felt whenever the winner in a competition was being announced, or whenever the priest in a wedding asked for any objection in the wedding. He was pretty confident though that it would go smoothly, since he know both parties had reviewed the contract countless number of times.

Maybe the tension was just inherent in contract signings.

However, the tension immediately went away once the heads had signed the contracts and began clapping in celebration, with everyone, including Jimin, began to shake hands with people from the other party. From there on, it was a smooth sailing night filled with casual talks and desserts.

It went on for another two hours, after which the people started leaving in groups. The last one to remain were also the first ones to arrive.

Once it was just the four of them, Jimin let out a loud sigh of relief.

“Oh my god… so that was how it feels like.” He said out loud, making Hoseok laugh. Jungkook simply patted the older’s back to comfort him.

“You did a great job, hyung.” The CEO softly said, understanding full well what the designer must have felt like to be in such a situation. The instant the other company heads entered the room, he had already noticed the stiffness in Jimin’s body. He was worried, of course, but he trusted the older to handle himself, which he did.

“My first time was also nerve wracking.” Hoseok said, recalling the memory of when Seokjin first took him with him to a contract signing. “And that was not even as big of a deal as this one, so I could only imagine what you just went through.”

“Yeah, I had to consciously stop myself from grabbing more food every now and then.” The younger designer said in agreement, grabbing another slice of leftover steak that he had been eyeing since the heads started leaving.

“You shouldn’t have restrained yourself, Jiminie.” Seokjin commented, also picking up a piece of meat with his bare hands and putting it directly into his mouth. “Didn’t you see me just devour things in front of everyone?”

“Yeah, but you’re the CEO.” Said male retorted. “Of course they won’t judge you. While I’m just Park Jimin. I bet the heads of Wings were confused as to why I was seating beside Jungkookie.”

“It’s none of their business, really.” Jungkook shrugged, standing up from his chair as so did the other three. “They can’t just question me for bringing someone here. They know that I know what I’m doing.”

“Actually, I was about to say,” The broad-shouldered hyung added. “They’re working under the legendary Jeon Jungkook. Of course they won’t have anything to say.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Oh, it is.”

 

A few more moments of light-hearted conversations and last minute eating passed, and the group also left the reserved room to go to their respective homes. Once they reached the entrance, their cars were already waiting for them, and all that they had to do was receive the keys from the staff so they could drive themselves home.

“See you soon, guys!” Hoseok waved at the three as he was the first one to leave in his car. He was promptly followed by Seokjin, who only waved and wished the two a good night before driving off himself. That left Jungkook and Jimin by themselves once again.

“Jungkook.” Jimin called the other’s attention once they were inside the car. Said male only hummed to show that he was listening. “I was actually thinking—did the heads of our company have any idea as to why I was there?”

“Yeah, I already told them about the whole thing.” Jungkook answered. “I know, it’s a breach of our contract, but it’s not like you haven’t broken yours yet.”

The older gasped at the sudden attack from the CEO. “I already told you, I didn’t—”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. I was just kidding.” The taller laughed at the scandalized look on Jimin’s face. “I figured that it was necessary to tell them, so that we don’t end up doing something in front of them that would make them question us and reveal the act.”

“Good thinking.” Jimin agreed, then letting out a yawn. “Gosh… I’m tired.”

“Yeah… events like these tend to sap people’s energy.” Said Jungkook. The night streets surprisingly only had a small number of vehicles, so the ride to Jimin’s apartment was just a fast one. In contrast to the high energy music that the pair had enjoyed on their way to the dinner, the ride home was accompanied by mellow music, the type that you would want to listen to on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

Once they reached the older’s apartment, the two of them got out of the car and headed over to Jimin’s apartment’s entrance. They stopped just before the door and turned to face each other, both clad in their expensive tuxedos.

It was surely a sight in the neighborhood—two men in brightly colored, expensive tuxedos standing in front of an apartment door in the middle of the night, in the poorer part of the city.

“So…”

“Do you want to drink water before leaving?” Jimin butted in, pointing to his door. For some reason, he did not want the other to speak. He just wanted him just… _there._

“No, I’m fine.” Jungkook answered, raising his brow at the shorter. “You did really well, hyung.”

Instead of answering, the older only nodded in response, making the other man frown at him.

“Is there something wrong?” Asked the boss. “You don’t look okay.”

“It’s nothing.” Jimin reassured the younger, forcing out a smile and flashing it at him, though he was pretty sure that by now, Jungkook would be able to see right through his façade. “It’s getting late, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, it is, actually.” Jungkook agreed. There was a moment of silence between the two before Jungkook stuck out his hand in a handshake, prompting Jimin to look at it.

“Congratulations, hyung.” The CEO started, and at that moment, Jimin knew where their conversation was leading to. “Thank you for your help for Wings. The deal is over now. You don’t have to worry about the loose ends and how to—”

“Kook.” The designer cut the Jungkook’s speech, just staring at the hand still being offered to him. Jimin could feel the tension building up in his throat and his eyes beginning to sting.

They were there, in the ending Jimin was _dreading_ to witness.

But he could not just let it all end without seeing the ending through, right? Yoongi would be so mad at him if he comes to the older crying because of this, but the musician did not have to know, right?

And besides, judging from everything that had transpired between them during the duration of their fake relationship, Jimin was hopeful that he did not have to call Yoongi for comfort anytime soon.

But then again, judging from what he learned about Jungkook in the span of the deal, the younger was a rather skillful deceiver.

Those stares… those stares felt real. Those sincere words felt real. It all felt real.

And if ever Jungkook were to reject him, he would do so in a relatively nice way, right? He was a nice person, after all… it was just that he had to put up a tough image for the sake of having a commanding aura as a CEO.

Taking into account all of the factors, Jimin took a deep breath and spoke the words that he had never thought he would be saying to the boss he hated since day one.

“Does this… this thing really have to end?” Jimin dared to look up to Jungkook face to be met by the latter’s confused expression. “I mean… I really enjoyed being with you and I know you do, too. At first I hated you but as time went by I got to know you more and—”

“Wait, wait,” Jungkook cut him off, retracting extended his hand from its previous position. There was a foreign look on the CEO’s young face—a look that Jimin knew did not mean good for him. “Are you… are you confessing to me?”

Silence floated in the air around the two, broken only by the shaky sigh the older let out when he found it hard to answer with words.

“Yah, Park Jimin!” Said male winced at the mention of his name, already feeling his eyes getting watery but still fighting to not let any tear fall. “Did you forget about our deal?”

The way the younger asked him—it was in the same tone that Jungkook used when they first met. It was… cold. Cold and devoid of any affection that his _fake_ boyfriend used to give to him when they were still acting.

“B-But…” Jimin managed to croak out with the lump in his throat. “The time we spent together… I-It all felt real and… and I-I was hoping that it wasn’t just…me.”

“It was just you and your wishful thinking, Park.” The tone was now even worse it actually made Jimin fail at stopping his tears from falling. It was not devoid of emotion now.

It was laced with _disgust._ And at that point, Jimin knew.

It was just pointless.

“Oh god…” Jungkook groaned, stepping back from the older. “This is so messed up. So fucking messed up.”

“I know…” Jimin sobbed out, now just facing the ground so he could hide his face from the younger. “I swear, I-I tried to—”

“Oh come on, Park! Are you really crying?” Jungkook asked, mock evident in his voice. “Don’t play victim here. You’re the one who broke our deal by falling in… oh god I can’t say it. It is entirely your fault, so I have no responsibility in this whatsoever.”

At that point, the designer did not have anymore will in him to stop himself from crying in front of his now-just-boss. The sob just tore through his throat and into to air, making Jimin cover his mouth with his hand to muffle the next ones that he was sure were coming.

He registered the sound of the car door opening and closing, and the engine turning on before the wheels moved. The window of the car opened, and the younger’s next words crushed all hope that Jimin had in him.

“Yah, Park Jimin.” Jungkook called the attention of the still-crying boy. “You know how the deal goes, right?”

Jimin, without lifting his head up, simply nodded at the younger in confirmation.

“You have to take this deal with you to the grave. No one has to know. Is that clear?”

Another nod.

“Oh god… why did you have to make things so complicated.” Jungkook groaned from inside the car before he closed the window and drove off, leaving the other boy by his doorstep.

Jimin swallowed the sobs that still wracked his body, and let out a tired, shaky sigh.

“H-He’s right.” The designer said to himself, uncovering his mouth and wiping the tears rolling down his cheeks. “It’s my fault.”

And for hundredth time in his life, Jimin cursed himself for getting attached to people too easily. His boss was right—he did not have the right to cry like a victim, because it really was his fault. It was not Jungkook’s fault that he got better at acting like he loved Jimin, too.

It was totally his fault why he was crying in the middle of the night in the streets, wearing an expensive tuxedo given to him by the same boy who was the reason why his heart hurt so badly.

_Oh god,_ how wrongly did he read the signs…

He should have just listened to his Yoongi-hyung when he said that the whole deal was a bad idea. After all, if there was someone who knew Jimin more than he knew himself, it was the pale male who used to love him.

But now that he thought about it… never did the older tell him he loved him throughout their relationship.

Did he just assume that, too? Was Yoongi just experimenting with him?

The though made Jimin laugh at himself, a laugh that sounded of disgust. Now he was just messing it all up.

“Poor Jimin… no one but your parents really loved you.” He said to himself, turning around to enter the door of his lonely apartment to retire for the night. He simply shrugged off the tuxedo and kicked off his shoes before plopping down on the bed, already feeling the exhaustion taking over him.

He was just tired. So tired of everything.

So tired of his life.

And as the boy drifted off to dreamland, a tear managed to escape his eyes as he whispered to no one.

“I didn’t even get the chance to say I love him.”


End file.
